South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
In March, CBS reported that six people were inside of a van near Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport when a hit-and-run accident occurred. The accident happened on the southbound return loop at the airport and the six people in the van suffered minor injuries as a result.
Our Fort Lauderdale injury attorneys know that rollover accidents often cause serious injury or result in death. A rollover crash involves the vehicle turning upside down and those inside of the car could be hurt in a number of different ways including suffering serious brain injury as the car tumbles. The six drivers in the Fort Lauderdale rollover accident were lucky that their injuries were relatively minor, as not everyone involved in a rollover crash manages to walk away from the accident. There are, however, some things that you can do in order to try to avoid a rollover accident and to keep yourself safe if one does occur.
Tips for Staying Safe to Avoid Rollover Accident Dangers
In order to avoid becoming hurt in a rollover accident, you should:
- Ensure that the driver and every passenger in the car is wearing a seatbelt. The seatbelt will keep you in your seat even as the car tips over instead of flying around he car and potentially striking your head very hard as a result.
- Make sure that your car is not overweight or overloaded. If your car weighs a lot, and especially if it is a top-heavy car to begin with, you significantly increase the chances of a serious auto accident occurring that results in the vehicle rolling over. Manufacturers will have load ratings for pickup trucks and other vehicles designed for moving or hauling and you should stay within those ratings.
- Avoid speeding. If you are going too fast, there is a greater chance that your car is going to roll over. As many as 40 percent of all roll over accidents can be attributed to a driver going too quickly.
- Monitor your tire pressure. You should check the pressure in your tires at least one time each month. Low pressure can up the chances of a rollover accident occurring.
- Don’t overcorrect. When you panic as you are driving and encounter an obstacle or a potential danger, then you may be likely to turn the wheel too hard and overcorrect. This can result in your car rolling over, especially if you were driving quickly at the time.
- Choose a safe, new vehicle. Many newer vehicles have Electronic Stability Controls and/or are designed in a way that is specifically designed to prevent rollover. An older car may not have the same safety features and may be more likely to tip in the event of an accident.
By following these tips, you should hopefully be able to avoid becoming involved in a rollover crash. If you do get involved in such an accident and are hurt, you may be able to hold the car manufacturer liable or you may be able to hold the driver responsible for the crash liable. In some cases, both may be to blame.
Call Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights.
Additional Resources:
South Florida Riptides Can Claim Lives on Spring Break, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, April 4, 2013.
South Florida Tourism Injuries Abound, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, April 8, 2013.