SUV (Sport Utility Vehicles) often make headline news - not because of new designs and sales figures - but because of the real risk, danger, and occurrence of Rollover Accidents. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, David Wolf handles SUV Rollover Accidents and other personal injury cases throughout the State of Florida. He is the author of 12 books that focus on safety and personal injury matters including the book titled - Florida Automobile Accidents - Personal Injuries - Keys to Protecting and Enforcing Your Legal Rights. This and other books are available for free to clients, prospective clients, and all others interested in learning more about actions to take and also actions to avoid in the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident.
SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) are designed and manufactured in a way that may and do increase the risk of a rollover crash under certain circumstances and conditions. The propensity of a SUV to rollover over in single vehicle accident or as a result of a crash will depend on the speed, force, stability, center of gravity of the vehicle, and the track width. The track width is measured as the distances between the right and left wheels on the SUV vehicle. When there is a turn, sudden motion, or impact with the SUV vehicle, the vehicle can be unstable and rollover because of the higher center of gravity and the relatively narrow track width. The risks and dangers are escalated for those SUVs and trucks with a higher center of gravity due to an increased height of the truck. For instance, many 4 x 4 vehicles have a higher center of gravity and therefore could be at a great risk for a SUV Rollover Accident
Beginning in 2001, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) introduced a rating system for rollover accidents for vehicles. A vehicle is assigned a rating based on stars. A 1 Star Rating means that the vehicle has a rollover risk greater than 40 %. A 5 Star Rating means that a vehicle has a rollover risk less than 10 %. The Star Ratings are calculated based on a technical - engineering review of the vehicle, the track width of the front tires, and a review of the applicable police reports involving motor vehicle crashes. Whenever there is a SUV Rollover Crash, the facts and circumstances for the particular crash should be individually evaluated by law enforcement at the scene and later by a Florida Rollover Accident Attorney along with privately hired engineers who can assess the particular crash.
In the aftermath of a Florida Rollover Accident, there can be one or more legal causes of action on behalf of the injury victim seeking compensation for his or her personal injuries and damages. There can be a case or claim pursued against the at-fault driver and at-fault owner of the motor vehicle. This is commonly referred to as a "Third Party" case or a negligence case. There can also be a claim or case against the Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Insurance Company in which the injury victim is considered an injured person. An injury victim can qualify as an injured person for a vehicle that he or she insures directly, for a vehicle that the injury vicim occupied at the time of crash, and / or for a vehicle owned by a resident relative of the injury victim. Another type of case or legal action could be pursued against the manufacturer of the motor vehicle. If the injuries were significant AND the vehicle is determined to be of a defectively designed or manufactured, there can be a Product Liability case or claim pursued on behalf of the injury victim.