Manassas Rollover Accident Attorneys

Lawyers for Severe Injuries in Vehicle Rollovers in Manassas, VA

Rollover accidents can be some of the most terrifying car crashes a driver or passenger can experience. When a vehicle tips onto its side or roof, its occupants can be thrown around violently, and standard safety systems may not provide protection against injuries. A rolling vehicle may involve multiple impacts against the ground, obstacles, or other vehicles, with each impact causing additional harm to everyone inside. The injuries in rollover accidents can be catastrophic, and victims will need to understand their options for recovering compensation.

At Locklin & Coleman, PLLC, our lawyers represent people in Manassas and the surrounding areas who have been seriously hurt in rollover accidents. Our legal team will work to investigate what caused the rollover, identify every party who was responsible, and obtain the full compensation our clients need to move forward with their lives.

Why Rollover Accidents Can Occur

Understanding the root causes of rollover crashes is essential for establishing liability and ensuring that victims can recover compensation. Factors that may be involved in these accidents include:

Vehicle Tripping

A tripped rollover occurs when a vehicle's tires strike a curb, guardrail, soft shoulder, raised pavement edge, or another object that disrupts the vehicle's momentum and causes it to turn over. A tire may catch on something while a vehicle is moving at a high speed, and the momentum of the vehicle may cause it to roll over.

Excessive Speed and Curves

When navigating a curve, the force of a vehicle's motion will push it outward. At appropriate speeds, a vehicle's tires and suspension can manage this force and keep the vehicle on course. However, when a driver enters a curve too fast, their vehicle may slide outward and roll over. Drivers who try to take turns too quickly may be responsible for causing rollover accidents.

Overcorrection and Driver Error

A driver who drifts onto a road's shoulder or is attempting to avoid a hazard may jerk the steering wheel sharply. This sudden, aggressive steering movement can cause a vehicle to roll over when it is traveling at a high speed. Overcorrection is a common cause of rollover crashes, and it may occur when a driver is distracted or fatigued.

Intoxicated Driving

Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not be able to track their lane position, respond correctly to road conditions or traffic, and make the right decisions while driving. These impairments may lead a drunk driver to drift off the road, enter a curve at an unsafe speed, or make an overcorrection that leads to a rollover.

Tire Failures and Blowouts

A sudden tire blowout can destabilize a vehicle. The driver may lose control before they can respond, and the vehicle may roll over, especially if the failure causes the vehicle to catch the edge of the road or strike a barrier. Tire failures may occur because of defective manufacturing, improper maintenance, or road hazards.

Collisions With Other Vehicles

Rollover accidents do not always begin with a single vehicle losing control. A vehicle that is struck by another in a side-impact collision may be pushed onto its side or roof.

Why Certain Vehicles Are More Likely to Roll Over

Not all vehicles have the same risks when it comes to rollover accidents. Vehicles with a high center of gravity are less stable and more likely to roll during sharp turns, sudden maneuvers, or high-speed collisions. SUVs have a higher rollover risk due to their height and instability. Pickup trucks that sit high off the ground and have a high center of gravity are more likely to roll over. Vans and other tall, boxy vehicles also have a higher rollover risk.

How Rollover Accidents Can Lead to Additional Collisions

A rollover accident rarely ends the moment a vehicle comes to rest. The secondary events that follow a rollover can affect people in other vehicles, lead to additional collisions, and cause injuries to drivers, passengers, or others.

Blocked Traffic Lanes

A vehicle that rolls over may come to rest in one or more lanes of active traffic. Other drivers who are approaching the scene may not have enough time to stop or avoid hitting the vehicle. Additional collisions may occur when drivers swerve or stop suddenly, including rear-end accidents or sideswipe accidents.

Highway and Ramp Accidents

Rollover accidents that occur on highway on-ramps, off-ramps, or merging lanes can lead to situations where high-speed traffic from multiple directions may encounter the wreckage. A vehicle that rolls across multiple lanes of a busy highway may cause a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash.

Ejections and External Hazards

People who are not properly restrained may be ejected from a rolling vehicle, placing them in the path of traffic. A person may also suffer harm when they land on the pavement or strike objects on the side of the road.

Fire Hazards

When a vehicle rolls over, its fuel system may be damaged. Gasoline may spill, increasing the risk of a fire. People trapped in an overturned vehicle, people in other vehicles, or bystanders could suffer burn injuries.

Severe Injuries in Rollover Accidents

The repeated impacts that may affect people who are involved in a rollover crash can lead to multiple types of serious injuries, including:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

In a rollover, a vehicle's occupants may strike their heads against side windows, door pillars, the roof, and other interior surfaces. Traumatic brain injuries that occur in these accidents can range from concussions to severe brain trauma.

Broken Bones

Multiple fractures are common in rollover crashes. Bones in the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, spine, or skull may be broken. Compound fractures where bones break through the skin can lead to infections and other health issues in addition to the fracture itself. Pelvic fractures can be life-threatening when they involve damage to major blood vessels and internal organs.

Crush Injuries From Roof Collapse

When a vehicle's roof collapses during a rollover, people in the vehicle may sustain crushing injuries affecting the head, neck, and shoulders. Roof crush injuries may include traumatic brain injuries, facial trauma, and broken or crushed bones, which may sometimes lead to amputations.

Internal Organ Damage

The forces of a rollover crash can cause internal bleeding and organ damage. Injuries to the spleen, liver, kidneys, and bowels or damage to major blood vessels can put a person's life at risk. Internal injuries that go undetected in the immediate aftermath of a crash may progress to a medical emergency in the hours following the accident.

Lacerations

Broken glass, sharp metal edges within a vehicle, and contact with road surfaces can lead to deep lacerations and severe blood loss. These wounds may require complex surgical treatment, and they also carry significant risks of infection. In some cases, they may result in permanent scarring.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The compression, twisting, and impact forces that occur when a vehicle rolls over can place extreme stress on the spine. Fractures and dislocations can damage or sever the spinal cord, which can lead to partial or complete paralysis and other serious symptoms.

Contact Our Manassas, Virginia Rollover Accident Lawyers

A rollover accident can change a person's life in a matter of seconds. At Locklin & Coleman, PLLC, we help victims and their families understand their legal rights and take steps to obtain compensation for injuries suffered in rollover accidents. Learn how we can help by contacting our Manassas rollover accident injury attorneys at 703-392-6686 and scheduling a free consultation.