While they often transport children to youth activities like church camp or boy scout outings, 15-passenger vans are extremely hazardous vehicles. These vehicles were never intended to transport large groups of people like a mini-bus but were solely developed to function as a cargo vehicle. Because 15-passenger vans are not used as intended, they pose a substantial risk of being involved in a rollover collision, especially when fully loaded with passengers. Rollover accidents are among the most deadly types of vehicle crashes because vehicle occupants are often ejected from the vehicle where they have no protection from injury.
Despite the fact that there are still many 15-passenger vans on Mississippi roadways, the danger they pose to vehicle occupants is well-established. Many schools no longer permit 15-passenger vans to be used for transporting students, and a growing number of insurance companies refuse to provide coverage for these vehicles. Although the vans have similarities to other vans, they are longer so there is more seating capacity. When these vans were extended to add more seating, the vehicle manufacturers never redesigned the vans to make them safe for the purpose of transporting large numbers of vehicle occupants.
Ironically, the very characteristics that 15-passenger vans were intended to provide also play a substantial role in their propensity to rollover. The vehicles are most dangerous when loaded with more than ten passengers. The vehicles do not have a wide enough wheel base and are top heavy. This tendency to be top heavy is magnified when the vehicle is more heavily loaded down with passengers. Passenger vans share many of the characteristics of SUVs, which are also prone to rollover accidents. However, 15-passenger vans have an additional feature that makes them prone to rollover crashes. When the vehicle is full loaded, four passengers sit behind the rear axle. This means that when the driver of a 15-passenger van must veer sharply to avoid a collision the back of the vehicle is heavy and tends to swing around leaving the vehicle exposed to rollover crashes.
15-passenger vans are hazardous because of this tendency to be top heavy and back heavy. This danger is more significant because many passenger vans do not have seatbelts installed for all passengers. A seatbelt is never more urgent than when a vehicle is involved in a rollover accident because there is a high risk of a vehicle ejection. The importance of seatbelts in 15-passenger vans is reflected by the fact that less than 15 percent of all passenger van fatalities involved occupants that were wearing seatbelts. If you are injured in an accident involving a 15-passenger van in Mississippi, there are a number of parties that may be responsible including:
- Other negligent motorists
- Inexperienced passenger van drivers
- Manufacturers of these defective vehicles
- Owners that fail to check for proper tire pressure or old tires
If you or someone you love is injured in a collision involving a 15-passenger van, our experienced 15-passenger van accident attorneys at Barrett Law understand the unique design characteristics that make these vehicles particularly dangerous to occupants. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.