A Maryland woman was killed in a rollover traffic collision recently in Waldorf, Charles County, as reported by TheBayNet. The woman’s two children, who were in the rear seats, and both secured in child safety harnesses, were injured. While the full details of the crash are still unknown, and may never be discovered due to the driver’s death and inability to provide information, the cause of the rollover was the impact of her vehicle’s wheels hitting a curb, and then rolling and hitting a tree. Almost all rollovers are caused by a trip, which is the term used for anything that a vehicle hits and causes the initial roll. In this case, the trip was the curb on the side of the street. Other common types of trips are soft soil on the side of the road and guardrails. While it appears that no other vehicles were involved in this crash, roughly half of all rollovers involve another vehicle, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Causes of Rollovers Can Involve Careless or Reckless Driving on Behalf of Other Parties
Rollovers are caused by many of the same factors that lead to other types of collisions, such as rear end collisions, side impact incidents, and even head on events. These types of driver error include:
- Excessive speed;
- Distraction;
- Aggressive driving and aggressive maneuvering; and
- Driving in adverse weather conditions and not changing driving behavior to adequately address the snow, ice, rain, or heavy wind.
It is true that over 50 percent of rollovers are single-vehicle incidents, meaning that the driver who rolled over was at fault. Just because a vehicle rolled over does not mean that that driver is to blame. When a rollover is caused by another party, the following scenarios may have been at work. The victim may have:
- Swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle (or object dropped by a commercial truck) that did not yield the right of way, and in the process, lost control and rolled over;
- Hit the brakes because another vehicle pulled out in front of them, causing the roll victim to lose control, hit another vehicle, or hit a tripping hazard;
- Been hit by another vehicle and forced off the road or into a tripping hazard; or
- Been hit from the side by another vehicle and the force of the impact caused the rollover.
Rollovers and Fatalities
While rare, rollovers are one of the most traumatic and deadly types of car collisions. Only two percent of car crashes involve a rollover, yet they account for 35 percent of all occupant fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That accounts for over 10,000 fatalities every year. Those who have lost a family member due to a rollover caused by another party may wish to seek financial compensation via a wrongful death lawsuit. A wrongful death suit or settlement may provide compensation for burial costs, medical bills, loss of consortium, and more.
Call and Experienced Maryland Auto Collision Attorney at Once
If you were involved in a rollover collision caused by another, call the Pasadena personal injury attorneys of Frame & Frame today at 410-255-0373. We are prepared to assist you with your case.
Resources:
safercar.gov/Vehicle-Shoppers/Rollover/Fatalities
iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/passenger-vehicles
thebaynet.com/articles/0317/waldorf-accident-alerts-first-responders-once-again.html