Car Accidents – SUV Rollovers

As SUVs become more and more popular – one out of every four vehicles sold in the US are SUVs - accidents involving SUVs have risen, especially those accidents that involve rollovers. In fact, rollovers are the number one cause for car accident deaths, with 63 per cent of all deaths involving SUVs occurring due to rollovers.

Compared to regular passenger cars, SUVs have an inherently higher risk of rolling over. This is primarily due to their height, which makes them top heavy, however some SUVs also have a narrow wheelbase, making them easier to topple in an accident or even during high-speed cornering. Also, most SUVs are not equipped with a rollover bar, which increases the risk of roof crush or collapse during a collision or accident.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed against SUV manufacturers, the most famous concerning the Mitsubishi Samurai that was prone to rolling over, even during normal cornering. Accidents involving rollovers could be due to a defective design, where the manufacturer may be at fault. Many of these defective design cases are now class action lawsuits against the manufacturer. Other rollover accidents may simply involve a negligent or reckless driver. In these cases, you may have a personal injury case against that person.