South Carolina Rollover Accident Attorney

Compassionate Legal Help for Accident Victims and Their Families

When a motor vehicle, such as a van or SUV is in an accident involving no other vehicles, questions often arise as to what caused the vehicle to roll over. The sad truth is that many of these rollover accidents could have been prevented - saving lives and avoiding serious injuries.

At the Orangeburg law office of Lanier & Burroughs; our attorneys help accident victims and their families through the legal issues that often follow a serious rollover accident. For caring and experienced representation, contact Lanier & Burroughs and schedule a confidential consultation.

Rollover Accidents: The Impact of a Defect

Rollover accidents can be caused by a number of factors, including a defective sport utility vehicle or a defective part. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, and other large vehicles have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to rolling over, especially when making turns. To compensate for this propensity for SUVs to roll over, many car companies have installed electronic stability control (ESC) to help prevent rollover accidents. But some car companies have not taken all the safety measures they should to help prevent SUV rollover accidents.

When a single component of a motor vehicle fails to adequately perform, the entire vehicle can be dangerous, especially when traveling at high speeds. The following are examples of auto defects which can cause a rollover crash or cause problems when a vehicle does rollover.

· Defective tires: Tire defects, such as tire tread separation, can cause the tires to blowout or fail. In a vehicle with a high center of gravity, such as an SUV, Explorer, or 15 passenger van, the vehicle is already susceptible to rollovers. Defective tires increase the chances of a crash or rollover.

· Defective roof: The roof structure of a vehicle should be manufactured to withstand the major impact of a rollover crash. However, when there is a design flaw or manufacturing defect in the roof structure, the impact of the accident may cause the roof to crush into the driver and passengers, causing serious injury or death.

· Defective seatbelts: In certain vehicles, when a vehicle's roof crushes, the seatbelt becomes ineffective because the crushed roof causes too much slack in the seatbelt. As a result occupants suffer more serious injuries or death because they are ejected during the rollover crash.

· Crashworthiness: Car manufacturers and designers have an obligation to design cars, trucks and other vehicles so that they are reasonably safe in a crash - whether a side-impact accident, a head-on collision or a rollover accident.

If an SUV or other vehicle is negligently designed or improperly manufactured, or does not incorporate available safety features, the auto manufacturer or seller may be responsible for the injuries and deaths resulting from their negligence.

Our lawyers recognize that you may not know if a tire defect caused the rollover, if a design defect led to your loved one's traumatic brain injury, or if a crushed roof caused slack in the seatbelt causing your loved one to be ejected and die. The critical issue is that a rollover accident occurred, and something terrible resulted. Our attorneys are here to find out why. If the rollover accident was caused by an auto defect, we will work hard to help you recover the compensation you'll need now and into the future.

Contact the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Lanier & Burroughs to discuss a rollover accident case.