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San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Van Rollover Accidents

Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured each year when a 12- or 15-passenger van rolls over. Churches, schools, civic groups, and others own, lease, or routinely rent vans of this size. Colleges use them to drive sports teams to intercollegiate games, and vanpools use them for commuting to and from work. In over 80% of single-vehicle accidents involving 12- or 15-passenger vans that resulted in a death, the vans rolled over. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the deadliest time of the year for 15-passenger vans is between June and August, and that rollover crashes are 31% more likely to occur during the busy summer months.

When the van is fully loaded with passengers, it raises the van's center of gravity, making a rollover more likely. Loading luggage, equipment, etc. to the van's roof raises the van's center of gravity even higher, increasing the chance for a rollover. The risk of rollover of a 15-passenger van is greatly increased when 10 or more people are riding in it. This increased risk happens because the passenger weight raises the van's center of gravity and causes it to shift to the rear.

A van rollover crash is a complex event, involving the driver's actions and road condition as well as the design of the van. In studies of single-vehicle accidents, the NHTSA has found that more than 90% of rollovers occur after the driver has lost control of the van and has run off the road. Four major situations can lead to a rollover of a 15-passenger van:

The van goes off a rural road, resulting in the van's rolling over when it strikes a ditch or embankment, or when it is tripped by a fixed object or turns onto soft soil.
The driver is fatigued or driving too fast for the conditions, resulting in the van sliding sideways off the road; the grassy or dirt medians that line highways can often cause the van to overturn when the tires dig into the dirt.
The driver overcorrects the steering as a panic reaction to an emergency or to a wheel dropping off the pavement, which can cause the driver to lose control, resulting in the van sliding sideways and turning over.
The tires are improperly inflated or the tread is worn down, causing the van to slide sideways on wet or slippery asphalt or pavement; improper tire inflation can cause handling problems and can lead to catastrophic tire failures, such as blowouts, causing the driver to lose control and the van overturning.

When a passenger van rolls over, the roof may not be strong enough to prevent caving in, resulting in more serious injuries to, even death of, the passengers.

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in an accident involving the rollover of a van, you should promptly consult an experienced personal injury law firm. The lawyer or his or her investigator will usually want to visit and inspect the scene of the accident and the van as soon as possible, before conditions change or evidence is lost. The lawyer will also want to get a copy of the police report as soon as possible, so witnesses can be located and their statements obtained while the event is still fresh in their minds.

San Francisco Injury Lawyers > Van Rollover Accidents

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