Experience, Knowledge, Results

Experience, Knowledge, Results

Why do rollover accidents occur?

On Behalf of | Apr 28, 2022 | Personal Injury

When you’re driving, one of the things you want to keep in mind is that speeding or driving recklessly could lead to rollover crashes. Rollover collisions aren’t as common as other forms, but when speed combines with unusual angles of approach or impacts with curbs or other items, it’s possible for a vehicle to go off-balance and flip.

Rollover collisions happen when the wheels have too much traction and the center of gravity of the vehicle is thrown out of alignment. For example, if your vehicle’s front tires have a strong grip on the road and you try to stop quickly, the rear of the vehicle could, in some cases, continue to travel. If the tires don’t skid, the vehicle might instead flip because of the momentum.

When are you most likely to see a rollover crash?

It’s most common to see rollover accidents when a vehicle rolls down a hill, into a ditch or down the side of a riverbank, for example, but it’s also possible for them to happen on flat surfaces. For instance, if your vehicle is an SUV, it stands taller than smaller vehicles. A car that hits the side of your SUV could, if traveling quickly enough, throw your SUV off-balance as it continues to travel forward. Combined with a front-wheel drive vehicle’s front braking power, it’s possible that your vehicle could roll over in the opposite direction of the impact.

Sometimes, rollovers happen because of the way vehicles were designed. SUVs, in particular, are prone to rolling over because they have taller profiles. There is more weight on the top of the vehicle to cause it to become unbalanced in a crash, so rollovers are more common.

What do you need to do after a rollover?

Rollover crashes are dangerous because it is possible for the people inside the vehicle to be thrown or crushed. Flying debris, as well as the weight of the vehicle, can cause severe injuries.

If you’re involved in this kind of auto crash, call for help right away. After seeking medical treatment, you can look into making a claim for the compensation that you need.