Car Accidents Caused by Center of Gravity Issues

Rollover accidents are some of the most dangerous car accidents that can happen. They involve vehicles whose centers of gravity have somehow been disturbed, which causes them to rollover. If the car has enough momentum, it might roll over several times, severely injuring the passengers inside. Windows usually break, and the roof may be dented. Some passengers may become trapped, and it will take a paramedic or even the fire department to pull injured passengers from the wreck.

One of the leading causes of rollover accidents is the high center of gravity issues that larger vehicles such as SUVs, pickup trucks, and semi trucks tend to have. A center of gravity allows the vehicle to stay upright. There are several actions and factors that can disrupt a vehicle’s center of gravity, and most of them are caused by either a driver’s negligence or poor road conditions.

Anyone injured in a rollover action caused by a driver’s disruption of the vehicle’s center of gravity – whether intentional or not – has good cause to file a lawsuit and seek damages for injuries. Here are a few things to know about accidents involving center of gravity issues.

Vehicles with high centers of gravity roll over more easily than those with lower centers of gravity. Narrow or taller cars such as big passengers vans or large SUVs are not as stable as cars that are shorter and much nearer to the ground. It’s not that these cars are impossible to flip, but they are less likely.

Of course, large semi trucks also have high centers of gravity, which is why you might seem them turned over on the side of the road. Truck drivers have to be extremely cautious, especially when driving in wet or icy conditions. A quick turn can easily turn over one of these vehicles.

Other factors can cause a high gravity-centered vehicle to roll over. A tire blow out can force a vehicle over, and if a car is hit from the side with enough force, it can also roll over. Drivers who take curves at too high a speed also run the risk of flipping over their vehicles. Vehicles that swerve or hit a curb at high speeds can also flip over, causing serious injuries to passengers.

You may not want to seek damages against a friend or family member whose negligence directly led to a rollover, but you should not have to pay for your medical costs if they were the result of someone’s negligence.

Remember that the “someone” in question is not always the driver. A poorly-constructed road could be the cause, or a bad maintenance job might throw off a vehicle’s center of gravity. Don’t be afraid to seek compensation. Here is what you will need to know.

To prove your case, you will need evidence that the driver was going too fast or was driving unsafely or that the road was in bad repair. If the car was previously handled by a mechanic, you may also look for errors there as well. You might look to the driver’s previous driving record to show that the driver was known to be a fast driver or an unsafe driver. Excessive speeding tickets or previous accident records can help bolster your case.

Uneven roads or with very sharp, immediate turns may have also played a role in the accident. Finally, a repair may have gone wrong at the mechanic’s shop, so make sure you follow up there to see if any maintenance repairs were done incorrectly.

Rollover accidents are extremely dangerous and often lead to high costs relating to injuries. You don’t have to pay your medical bills alone. Receive for injuries in a rollover accident and get the compensation you deserve.