Auto accidents in California are often the result of inattentive or unsafe drivers, but SUV rollover accidents sometimes reveal a separate source of danger. Our firm has experience with this type of accident and can win clients compensation for their pain and suffering. SUVs, with their larger weight and proportions, do provide more utility for their owners than passenger cars, but they can also be more unstable. SUV and SUV component manufacturers must be aware of this higher tendency for rollovers and have a responsibility to make their SUVs reasonably safe to drive. If this responsibility is overlooked, an SUV rollover accident may ultimately be a case of product liability and you should seek a qualified attorney to file your claim.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration now provides rollover ratings as part of its new Car Assessment Program. Consumers can look into the ratings prior to purchasing their SUV. The best way to avoid SUV rollovers is to take safety precautions while driving, such as wearing your seat belts, taking safe turns, and more. Unfortunately, rollovers still occur.

Why do SUVs roll over?
SUVs are among the most popular vehicles in America, however, many SUVs pose a huge risk of rolling over in an accident. Because of their high center of gravity, sport utility vehicles are more prone to rolling over. Fatality statistics show rollovers are the leading cause of death in highway auto accidents. These same statistics show that 62% of all SUV deaths occur in rollovers.
Mini SUVs, vans and light trucks are among the most popular vehicles in America, they are also the riskiest when it comes to rollover accidents. However, critics say the auto industry has hidden that danger from consumers to protect profits. Because they sit higher off the road (high center of gravity) than cars, sport utility vehicles are far more prone to rollovers�the leading cause of death on America's highways.

In addition, government rollover tests show that even the most stable SUV is more likely to rollover than the least stable car. Congress has recently produced a Rollover Resistance Rating System. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last Spring was prepared to include rollover risk on its safety Web site, but automakers complained the ratings would not be accurate. Many SUVs, they argued, have been redesigned for stability; others have added side air bags. In addition, the fact is, many rollovers are caused by negligent drivers.
"There are other factors related to the environment, the vehicle and the human factor, all of which contribute to the rollover potential," says Josephine Cooper of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. While rollovers do not occur as frequently as other types of crashes, when they do occur, the result is often serious injury or death. Rollovers accounted for more than 10,000 fatalities in the United States in 1999, more than side and rear crashes combined. They also resulted in tens of thousands of serious injuries.

Top Reasons for SUV Rollovers
� SUVs have a high center of gravity
� SUVs have a narrow track width
� SUVs are advertised to carry too much weight
� SUVs do not have roll protection, roll bars or roll cages
� SUVs often have faulty seatbelt protection
� SUVs sometimes have bad door latches and lack of window glazing, leading to ejections
� SUVs have seat back failures allowing occupants to come out of seat belts
� SUVs have a lack of rollover warnings
� SUVs have insufficient roof support for rollovers, causing injury and death from roof crush, roof failure, roof header collapse and/or roof rail pillar collapse
Roof crush injuries are caused by the energy of the vehicle in a roll creating compressive forces pushing down on the top of skull when the head is in an upright position. The compression causes a bursting fracture in the C5 to C7 of the cervical spine. This bursting fracture causes a loss of intravertebral space both anterior and posterior.
In other rollovers, the roof intruding is not the cause of injury, but it is when the occupant "drives" into the roof, resulting in the head flexing forward before receiving an impact to the top of the head. This causes the bone in cervical vertebrae to fracture, NOT BURST. The posterior corner of the vertebrae then impinges directly against the spinal cord resulting in loss of anterior vertebrae body height.
The Essentials to Winning a Rollover- Roof Crush Case:

1) Vehicle and accident site inspection as soon after the accident as possible.

2) Preservation of the vehicle in its condition after the accident.

3) Having an experienced accident investigator to take accurate and complete statements of all occupants, law enforcers, EMS personal and witnesses.

4) Having an Accident Reconstruction Engineer to determine how the accident occurred.

5) Having Biomedical or Biomechanical experts to determine what part of the accident or vehicle caused the plaintiffs injuries.

6) Interview the plaintiffs treating medical physicians.

7) In catastrophic injuries, the resulting in paraplegia. quadriplegia, or serious head injuries, hiring a life care plan consultant to evaluate the cost of medical care to the seriously injured plaintiff and estimate ALL medical and life care needs over this person�s lifetime.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an SUV/Roll-Over accident, you need experienced, professional legal help.

Personal Injuries Attorneys USA is a contingency-based law firm, which brings your legal cost to FREE! Our goal is to help you in your case. Time is valuable, and when in need, nothing is more valuable than finding the right legal advice pertaining to your case. We are a law firm. We help you, the consumer, understand your case, and most importantly know your rights. Please call me on my cell phone right now at 800 933-6529 or fill out the form and I will contact you promptly.