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Who is to Blame for a Rollover Accident?


Rollovers are probably the most frightening car accident. Motorists suddenly lose control, and their vehicle flips onto its side or hood. Drivers and their passengers can quickly find themselves hanging upside down—or, if they weren’t wearing a seatbelt, resting on their necks.

Rollovers unsurprisingly cause major bodily injuries and make physical recovery difficult. Please call Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys after your rollover accident. Our legal team knows how to investigate a crash and determine if you can sue. A critical step is to identify who is to blame for the accident, which is called “fault.” Our Atlanta car accident lawyers explain more in an individualized meeting.

How Rollovers Happen

Cars are so big and heavy you would expect a rollover to be a rare event. But when they happen, they can lead to permanent disabilities.

Typically, a rollover occurs because the vehicle’s weight shifts dramatically. The car’s center of gravity changes, and it can end up on its side. Sometimes, a car goes down an embankment, so the car will tumble onto its side or hood that way. But other rollovers happen on flat land. Your car’s weight has simply shifted too suddenly.

Many rollovers happen when a car “trips” on an object, like a guardrail or curb. Traveling too fast and suddenly hitting a gravel shoulder can also cause a shift in the center of gravity in a split second. Sometimes, a sudden jerk on the steering wheel can also unbalance a car.

Who is to Blame for Your Accident?

In some cases, you might have sole responsibility for your rollover. For example, you could have been distracted and driven up onto a guardrail, causing your car to flip. Or you were intoxicated and ended up going off the road and into a creek. These accidents are nobody’s fault but your own.

Other rollovers happen because a different driver was negligent. For example, a car might be coming straight at you after having jumped the centerline, which causes you to take defensive action. You suddenly jerk on the steering wheel, and your car flips.

Other rollovers are the direct result of contact. A car might flip onto its hood after another car rams into its side. Rollovers are also relatively common in multi-car pileups, where cars pinball against each other in a chain reaction.

In other cases, defects on the car might cause a rollover:

  • Tread or belt separation in tires can make the car jerk suddenly.
  • Brake failure when a car is going downhill can make it go too fast, leading to a rollover when the driver tries to swerve.

Some vehicle designs end up making the center of gravity too high, leading to a rollover.

Rollover Car Accident Injuries

Passengers might suffer horrifying injuries in these crashes. Anyone who is unbuckled could be ejected from the car or possibly land on their neck. Even someone properly buckled in can suffer major neck and head injuries from the sudden movement of being thrown upside down.

Call our firm if you are dealing with any of the following injuries:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). A motorist might smack their head on the inside of the car, or even suffer a TBI due to violent shaking. Common symptoms include confusion, memory loss, headaches, and impaired movement or speech.
  • Whiplash. This is a neck injury caused by extreme movement. Whiplash often develops slowly, but the pain increases to the point that it’s painful to move your head.
  • Dislocated shoulders. A shoulder belt can dislocate your shoulder, which is a painful injury. A doctor will need to “pop” it back into place, but the joint could sustain damage.
  • Facial injuries. A motorist could smack their face on the dash or another passenger, leading to a broken nose, orbital fracture, and mouth injuries.
  • Fractures. Any bone could break in a violent rollover and result in a compound fracture.
  • Spinal column trauma. Dislocated vertebrae can pinch nerve roots, and your spinal cord might be damaged.
  • Crush injuries. A person ejected could have the vehicle land on top of them, crushing skeletal muscle and bones. Crush injuries can be fatal due to certain complications, and amputation is common.

If you are suffering from any pain or bodily injury after a collision, give us a call. You could have important legal rights to bring an injury claim against a negligent or reckless driver.

Investigating a Rollover

Our car accident lawyers realize the importance of a thorough investigation. We search for evidence to prove someone else is responsible for the rollover. That will allow our clients to receive financial compensation.

One issue arises when a client is hurt in a single-vehicle accident. This means no other car hit them. Insurance companies will often blame you in this situation, believing you fell asleep or were drunk and drove off the road—even if, in reality, a driver almost hit you and caused you to swerve.

Unfortunately, these types of dangerous drivers often flee the scene, which is why we call them “phantom” motorists. They are responsible for the accident, but we need to convince the insurance companies of their existence.

Financial Compensation after a Wreck

Our legal team has earned a reputation for negotiating aggressively on behalf of clients. Anyone who survives a rollover should receive fair compensation for specific and general damages:

  • Lost income or wages
  • Emergency medical care, including ambulance transportation
  • Surgery or other treatment
  • Rehabilitation and pain management
  • At-home help for paralyzing injuries
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish

For an estimate of how much you might expect, call us to schedule a personalized consultation. We will also analyze whether your contributory negligence will impact your case.

Speak with an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

A personal injury claim promises to get our clients badly needed financial compensation and provide a measure of justice. Our firm has negotiated with most of the large Georgia insurance companies. They know we drive a hard bargain and are willing to go into court, when necessary, to protect our injured clients. Call us to schedule a free consultation.

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