Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when they hear that there were no injuries connected with the school bus transporting high school teens when it hit a stopped passenger vehicle. The school bus’s impact tipped the car over. This accident is labeled a tripped rollover. Fortunately, the young people in the bus, the driver of the bus, and the driver in the tipped car were not injured. Everyone walked away.
The majority of us driving on the highway slow down to gawk at the triple trailer that tipped over due to high winds or icy roads. This tipped vehicle is labeled an untripped rollover. Our curiosity slows traffic down until everyone has a good passing look, which can cause fender benders.
Standard size vehicles also roll over by the impact of sideswiping another vehicle, running over objects on the road, or the exploding of a tire while on the highway going 50 mph or faster.
Good & Bad News
The good news is that accidents involving rollovers in New York are just a hair over 2%. But where there is good news, there is usually bad news also, which is that 35% of all traffic deaths are due to rollovers.
Injuries from rollovers can be grim. Some of the possible rollover injuries are:
- Spinal cord and back injuries.
- Brain injuries, including concussions
- Puncture wounds
- Crush-related injuries
- Severed limbs
- Fractured or broken bones
Rollover Types
There are two types of rollovers: tripped and untripped.
A tripped rollover is when the vehicle is hit by something, which makes it flip over. The school bus with the school children tripped the passenger vehicle over. If you were hit by another vehicle, a rollover accident lawyer would take action to investigate the scene to determine who was at fault and advise you on possible steps you can take if you are an injured party.
An untripped rollover does not have an external force causing the rollover. The empty triple-trailer being tipped over by high winds or icy roads or both is an example. It is a mix of ground friction, speed of the vehicle, and steering. In this case, a rollover crash attorney would investigate whether a mechanical part on your vehicle or the condition of the road such as potholes contributed to the accident.
Road Conditions
The conditions of the road can also contribute to a tripped or untripped vehicle rollover. While it may be difficult to prove, government agencies are responsible for road maintenance. If the agency has a history of poor road maintenance, it can be held responsible. There are also different kinds of maintenance such as clearing snow and ice or fixing potholes.
The causes of rollovers are many: the driver(s), road conditions, or even a defective part(s).
It is in the best interest of those injured in a rollover to get free advice by calling a rollover accident lawyer for your free case evaluation (212) 683-1530.
