Most Worcester car accidents are inherently frightening for everyone involved, even for witnesses and bystanders. However, a rollover accident can be especially terrifying, not to mention damaging and even deadly. How do these types of accidents happen, and can anything be done to prevent them?
It’s important to note that countless car accidents in general, including rollovers, can be prevented through safe and responsible driving. A reckless or negligent driver can cause any number of calamities on the road, from rear-end collisions to deadly multi-vehicle wrecks and rollovers. With rollovers, the vehicle in question flips completely upside-down. While technically this phenomenon can happen in any type of car, vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as taller trucks and SUVs, are more susceptible to rollovers.
A vehicle can tip over by itself, such as when rounding a curve at a high rate of speed and then overcorrecting in the opposite direction. However, when speed and other factors such as distracted or drunk driving come into play, other vehicles aren’t always lucky enough to be out of harm’s way. A car in the midst of a rollover is essentially out of control and can veer into other cars or property, causing significant damage in the process. Driving at a prudent speed can help keep all road users safe: speeding is involved in approximately 40 percent of deadly rollover accidents.
Interestingly, a rollover can happen even as a driver is trying to be safe and avoid another accident. In a small percentage of rollover accidents, a car flips because the driver is attempting to avoid another incident on the road – for instance, jerking the steering wheel during a swerve and then quickly pulling the wheel in the opposite direction can cause a rollover.
Those involved in a rollover auto accident may have serious or life-threatening injuries as a result. An experienced personal injury attorney can help an accident victim determine if the incident was sparked by another’s negligence; if so, victims can pursue compensation for damages.
Source: Consumerreports.org, “Car rollover 101,” accessed May 29, 2015
