Roof Crush Accident Lawyer
Traumatic injuries due to roof crush accidents
Sometimes during a rollover accident, in which the vehicle flips over onto its top, some vehicles’ roofs end up crushed by the tremendous force of the accident and the overturned vehicles weight.
An automobile’s roof can also be crushed by failing objects but this is less common. Regardless, an accident involving a roof crush presents considerable risk to the vehicle’s occupants, who can be crushed along with the roof, or be severely injured not only by the accident itself but by broken metal and glass as well. When a vehicle manufacturer fails to install basic protections against roof crush accidents like roll bars and roof supports that help prevent deaths and life-threatening injuries, then the vehicle manufacturer can and should be held accountable in a court of law for their negligence.
Roof crush accidents are some of the most severe types of vehicle accidents. It leaves hundreds of people with permanent disabilities each year, including paralysis due to spinal cord injury. The sad truth is that many of these injuries could have been prevented by auto manufactures.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roof crush injuries sustained during vehicle rollover accidents annually cause nearly 600 deaths and more than 800 serious injuries to passengers wearing seat belts with the numbers being even higher among passengers not wearing their seat belts.
A roof crush is a common occurrence in car and SUV rollover accidents, causing the support structure for a vehicle's roof to collapse. There are two common outcomes to these situations. The roofing materials may directly impact passengers, causing head and spine injuries within a very confined space at high speeds. Or, the roof's breakdown causes windows to shatter and passengers will partially or totally eject from the vehicle.
Impacts to the upper body in particular can lead to the most severe of spinal injuries, resulting in quadriplegia and permanent, life-altering disabilities. Sometimes, a seemingly minor crash can result in a crushing blow to the head, neck, and spinal cord.
Due to the horrific frequency of these injuries, in 2005 the NHTSA proposed tougher standards for SUV roofs as well as those of pickup trucks and other heavier vehicles that are more likely to roll over.
Evidence shows that the auto makers have for years known that the roofs they put on rollover-prone vehicles cannot stand up to the very kinds of deadly rollover accidents the vehicles are likely to be in.
Who is at fault in roof crush accidents?
If you or a family member is facing severe injuries from a vehicle roof collapse, you are essentially paying the price of failures from the auto manufacturers. For one thing, many vehicles – in particular SUVs and passenger vans – are far too susceptible to rollovers. Sometimes, a bump in the road or a quick steering correction can cause a life-threatening vehicle roof crush. Second, proper design, engineering, and manufacturing of vehicles can give vehicle roofs the strength to withstand the force of a typical vehicle rollover.
Common roof crush accident injuries that result because of this include:
Compensation for Roof Crush Accident Injuries
The Ammons Law Firm helps individuals and their families fight for the resources they need when roof crush accident results in expensive and debilitating spinal cord injuries. We've developed an expertise in spinal cord injury cases and auto defects cases, which allows us to seek settlements in the most complex cases.
Our team of trial lawyers and expert witnesses, physicians, and private investigators will be at your disposal!
Call us today at (866) 523-1606 to discuss your accident with an attorney experienced in roof crush accidents and can help determine if legal action is appropriate. We've helped many families receive the funds they need to pay for surgeries, regular medical visits, adaptive equipment, therapy, and other expenses associated with traumatic injuries due to roof crush accidents and other defective automotive products.