What Happens to Your Body in a Rollover Accident?
Whether you were in the car or watching it happen from the road, a rollover accident is something that you’ll never forget. These accidents are life-threatening situations that can result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities.
To understand just how dangerous rollover accidents can be, it’s important to know what your body goes through at the moment of impact. Keep reading to learn more about potential injuries from a rollover car accident, the main causes of this kind of wreck, and how a car accident lawyer can help.
Breaking Down Possible Injuries from a Rollover Car Accident
In a rollover car accident, your body experiences rapid and violent movements.
You may be tossed around the vehicle or thrown through the windshield if you’re not wearing a seat belt. Crashing through the windshield exposes you to deep and numerous cuts from the shattered glass. Landing on the asphalt can severely injure you and can be fatal. If you survive the impact, you are still at risk of being struck by another vehicle.
Even wearing a seat belt, you can be flung against the windows, dashboard, or steering wheel. These violent movements can cause injuries like concussions and vertebral and nerve damage. The airbag may deploy, but it might not prevent you from sustaining brain injuries or facial lacerations. If any of your car’s safety features malfunction, your risk of injury is higher.
In the most violent of rollover accidents, you might experience an amputation or crushing injury. Organ damage is also possible, especially if you suffer blows to your chest.
Additional Factors Make Rollover Accidents Especially Dangerous
One of the challenges of rollover crashes is that it can be difficult for emergency services to get fast access to those inside. The car’s frame will likely crumple around you, and first responders might have to use the Jaws of Life to extract you from the vehicle.
In situations when seconds count, this can mean the difference between life and death.
What Are the Main Causes of Rollover Accidents?
Rollover accidents usually involve high speeds. Speeding is a nationwide problem, having caused 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2023. Cars are less stable at high speeds, so even a minor error or road defect can cause the driver to lose control. That is often the case when rollovers involve only one vehicle.
Reckless driving is also an issue. A driver rapidly changing lanes can hit another vehicle. If the hit involves enough force, either vehicle could flip onto its side or roof.
Drivers who are distracted can also cause rollover accidents. They may not notice a hazard until the last moment, then perform an abrupt maneuver to try to avoid it. Instead, they lose control of their vehicle, and it flips over in a rollover accident.
Rollover accidents are also more likely to occur during windy or stormy conditions. Sleek roads can make it easier for a car to skid.
Call Our Birmingham Car Accident Attorneys at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers After a Rollover Crash
If you have suffered losses in a rollover accident because of another party’s negligence, filing a personal injury claim can be a way to recover your losses.
You should never do this on your own, however. The other driver may say that you caused the crash, at least in part. Since Alabama has harsh contributory fault laws, this could bar you from recovering anything.
Your Birmingham car accident attorney can help you make a strong case that you were not responsible for the crash. They can also work with you to fully calculate your losses, both financial and personal, so you can focus on healing.
Contact an experienced car accident lawyer at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today. We serve Shelby County, Madison County, Montgomery County in Alabama, and its surrounding areas.
We are located in Birmingham, Huntsville & Montgomery.
Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers – Birmingham Office
880 Montclair Road, Ste 300,
Birmingham, AL 35213
(205) 973-6417
Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers – Huntsville Office
116 Jefferson St. Suite 207
Huntsville, AL, 35801
(256) 781-9242
Or find us with our GeoCoordinates: 34.73159361945047, -86.58690898412395
Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers – Montgomery Office
7 Clayton St, Suite 200,
Montgomery, AL 36104
(334) 518-6098
Or find us with our GeoCoordinates: 32.373594220209505, -86.3092041262694