When you are involved in a rollover car accident, you may sustain severe injuries. If the negligence of a driver or another party directly led to those injuries, you may have a potential personal injury claim. An Orland Park rollover car accident lawyer may be able to give you advice if you are involved in this type of crash.
Recovering from serious injuries is never easy, and the associated physical and mental strain may be immense. Financial concerns and worries about your return to a normal life can add unneeded stress to your situation. By consulting with a knowledgeable attorney, you may be able to seek the compensation that you need during such a difficult time.
Rollover car accidents are a common type of car accident that results in thousands of injuries each year to drivers and passengers. The usual cause of rollover car accidents is simple physics: when a car quickly moves over its center of gravity, the wheels cannot maintain the stability of the vehicle and the car goes into a roll.
Sport utility vehicles, due to their high center of gravity, may be particularly prone to rollover accidents. Some of the most typical situations that result in a rollover car accident include:
Extensive litigation about the design of sports utility vehicles and their predilection to overturn has become a common sight in courts across the country. However, all types of vehicles may be involved in rollover accidents, and defective products or parts are not the only potential cause.
Rollover car accident victims often suffer severe injuries, particularly if the rollover causes them to be thrown around or ejected from the vehicle. Catastrophic injuries can result from rollover car accidents, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and neck injuries. These injuries are likely to result in high medical expenses, long periods of rehabilitation, and perhaps permanent disabilities.
Rollover accident injury claims often occur due to negligence. When individuals fail to exercise a reasonable amount of care while driving to the detriment of others, they may be found legally negligent and therefore liable for any injuries that result from accidents they cause.
In some accidents, there is more than one individual at fault. When this situation occurs, injury victims can still maintain a personal injury action for damages against the other parties responsible for the accident. This is the case so long as they are not more at fault for the accident than the other parties combined.
Under 735 ILCS § 5/2 1116, injury victims can still pursue damages from other parties as long as they are less than 50 percent at fault for the accident. However, the potential amount of damages that they can receive decreases in accordance with their level of responsibility for the accident.
For example, if injury victims are 20 percent at fault for causing the accident that resulted in their injuries, then the principles of comparative fault still allow them to seek compensation. Their potential damage award would simply decrease by 20 percent to account for their role in causing the accident. For more information, or for help with establishing negligence, get in touch with an Orland Park rollover car accident lawyer.
The stress of being involved in any serious car accident can be substantial, and recovery may take time. An inability to work coupled with ongoing medical expenses can be extremely detrimental from a financial perspective. By holding others accountable for their negligent behavior, you may be able to ease some of your financial concerns and concentrate on your future.
If you are struggling with the aftermath of a rollover car accident and unsure of what to do next, an Orland Park rollover car accident lawyer may be able to assist you in gathering evidence that you need to support a personal injury claim. Call today to set up an initial consultation.