Rollover Accident and The Most Frequent Causes

The way an Arizona driver interacts with their vehicle, the road and the environment can determine the risk they run for an accident. This is especially the case for rollover incidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 90% of the vehicles involved in fatal rollovers were engaging in ordinary driving maneuvers like navigating a curve or going in a straight line. Driver behavior, then, is crucial in rollovers.

Distractions and inattention, for example, can raise the risk for a rollover. Another risk is excessive speed; in fact, speeding is involved in some 40% of fatal rollovers. Moreover, around 75% of fatal rollover accidents take place where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher.  In fact, this rollover occurred because another driver was speeding and not watching in front of her.

Yet another factor in rollovers is alcohol consumption. Without even being legally drunk, drivers can still experience the impairment that makes them more likely to lose control of a vehicle. Alcohol-impaired drivers will find it harder to pay attention to the road or react in time to hazards.

Location and vehicle type are other influences. Rural roads with no lane divisions or barriers are often the setting for rollovers. Vehicles with high centers of gravity, including SUVs, pickup trucks and vans, can roll over more easily than others.

Rollovers are often single-vehicle crashes, but they may sometimes involve other drivers. Victims of car accidents who are not to blame for their injuries may file third-party insurance claims. Arizona follows the rule of pure comparative negligence, so no amount of contributory negligence will technically bar a plaintiff from recovery. Of course, the more a plaintiff is at fault, the harder it is to achieve a settlement, so it may be a good idea to hire a lawyer.