Did you know that rollover crashes have a higher fatality rate than other types of vehicle wrecks? While only a little over two percent of all passenger vehicle crashes are rollovers, rollover wrecks cause over thirty percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities. Because rollover crashes are so deadly, it is important that all drivers understand what they are so that they can take steps to avoid them.

There are two ways that rollover accidents generally happen. In the first type of rollover crash scenario, the “tripped rollover,” the vehicle goes off of the road surface and slides sideways.  As the vehicle slides, its tires dig into the soft dirt at the side of the road or hit a curb, guardrail, rock, or other object, essentially “tripping” the vehicle and causing it to roll over. It is easy to envision tripped rollovers, if you think about it. If you can imagine the driver of an SUV or pickup truck driving at highway speed and accidentally moving too far to the right, causing one or two of the vehicle’s tires to go off of the roadway and into the dirt, you can easily imagine that the driver’s response will probably be to jerk the wheel hard to the left to avoid veering off the road. If the driver’s quick and sharp response leads to overcorrection, the tires will continue to dig further into the soft dirt, and the vehicle will roll over. Likewise, if one side of a vehicle rolls up onto an object like a curb or a guardrail at a high rate of speed, the vehicle’s movement can generate enough force to roll it over. Steep slopes off of the side of the road can also cause tripped rollovers, because a vehicle only has to leave the road surface slightly to begin rolling down the slope, even if it was traveling at a fairly low speed to begin with.

While tripped rollover crashes account for ninety five percent of all rollover wrecks, there is another way that rollover accidents can happen. These “other” rollover crashes are called “un-tripped” rollovers. Un-tripped rollovers are most likely to happen when the drivers of top-heavy vehicles encounter high-speed collision-avoidance situations like animals running into the road or large items in the roadway.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Serving the Victims of Mississippi Rollover Accidents

Rollover crashes are dangerous and they are often deadly. If you have suffered an injury or you have lost someone you love because of a rollover wreck, the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to assist you. You are likely to have a lot of questions during this challenging and often confusing time in your life. Our compassionate and dedicated team of attorneys is ready to assist you and your family as you work to overcome the challenges that you are facing due to the rollover accident. Please call our office today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule an initial consultation.