The Toll of a Rollover Accident On a Victim’s Body

Any type of car accident will expose a vehicle occupant’s body to potential physical harm. Certain kinds of crashes, however, including rollover accidents are notorious for causing particularly serious injuries, as occupants are at risk of being thrown violently around the inside of the car, becoming trapped, or even getting ejected. For this reason, injuries sustained in rollover accidents are almost always severe, leaving victims to suffer through painful and expensive treatments.

What is a Rollover Accident? 

Rollover accidents occur when a vehicle flips over, often multiple times, before landing on its side or its roof. In most cases, these kinds of crashes can be linked to a driver’s loss of control, sudden swerving, and then striking of another object, like a guardrail or curb. A lot of other factors can, however, contribute to a rollover crash, such as:

• Traveling at high speeds, particularly on wet roads or gravel;
• Taking sharp turns at a high rate of speed;
• Driving a vehicle with a high center of gravity, like a truck or SUV; and
• Colliding with another vehicle.

While understanding these risks can help decrease a driver’s chances of being involved in a rollover accident, there is no way to guarantee that a vehicle occupant won’t be injured in such a crash.

What Happens to a Person’s Body During a Rollover Accident? 

When a person is traveling in a vehicle that rolls over, his or her body will experience a range of intense and rapid movements. With most collisions, vehicle occupants are only forced to undergo one sudden impact and the movement of their body in a single direction. A person struck from behind, for instance, will jerk forwards. The force of the crash in a rollover accident, however, will likely throw the body around inside the vehicle in multiple directions as the vehicle rotates. In some cases, where an occupant fails to wear a seat belt, he or she could even be ejected from the vehicle entirely. This violent motion often leads to serious injuries, like head trauma, fractures, spinal cord damage, and internal injuries.

What are the Most Common Rollover Accident Injuries? 

Rollover accidents can cause injury to many parts of the body, simply because occupants are forced to suffer so many impacts. Two areas, however, have proven to be particularly prone to injury in the event of a rollover accident, including the head and the chest. Head trauma is particularly common and occurs most often when an occupant’s head strikes the window or the roof upon rolling over. Injuries include fractures, hemorrhages, and traumatic brain injury. The other part of the body that is vulnerable to injury is the chest, which could sustain injury due to repeated contact with the seat belt. Injuries include fractures to the ribs and sternum, injuries to the lungs, and internal bleeding.

Call Our Office to Discuss Your Case Today 

Rollover accidents tend to cause catastrophic injuries, which can seem particularly unfair when the victim was not at fault for the crash in question. If you were hurt in a rollover accident because of someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call Boone & Davis at 954-566-9919 to speak with our experienced Florida auto accident lawyers about how we can help.

Sources:

 crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/809894

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4160669/