Rollover Truck Accident Lawyer

The massive size of commercial semis and large trucks makes them dangerous in an accident. Just like smaller vehicles, these behemoths can overturn — only they tend to cause more injuries and deaths when they do.

In 2017, rollovers were listed as the “most harmful event” in just 2.4% of truck accidents with no injuries (property damage only), but they were a factor in 7.9% of injury crashes and 6.5% of fatal crashes, according to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Drivers in large trucks were also much more likely to be killed when their vehicle rolled over compared to SUVs, pickups, and sedans, says the IIHS.

If you or a close family member has been involved in a rollover accident with a truck, they may have serious injuries. These injuries and sometimes deaths can leave a mountain of debt. Hospital bills, rehabilitation expenses, out-of-pocket costs, and lost wages from missed work all add up.

Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers can be here for you with an experienced truck accident attorney to take your case. We provide highly qualified legal counsel to help you file the necessary paperwork, document all of your losses, negotiate with insurers and — if need be — fight for your case in court.

Call 800-559-5741 or contact us online now to schedule a free, no-obligation case review. You will learn about your available legal options and the strategies you could use to pursue the maximum amount of compensation for your losses.

Why Are Truck Rollover Accidents So Dangerous?

The danger of a truck rollover crash mostly comes down to size. A tractor-trailer can be over 55ft long and is usually 13’ – 14’ high. Fully loaded, the vehicle can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs.

Semi-trailers also tend to be top-heavy. It can take a significant amount of force to get the trailer past its center of gravity, but once it reaches that point there can be no stopping it. This situation leads to a rollover, where the trailer turns over on its side or onto its roof, sometimes making multiple rolls before stopping. Vehicles caught in this path can get pushed, struck, or completely crushed.

In short, rollover accidents involve a lot of sizes and weight being thrown around in a highly dangerous and unpredictable situation. Multiple vehicles can be involved, and the damage and injuries caused are often severe.

What Causes a Rollover Crash?

Most rollover accidents happen because of excess speed, concluded a 2008 FMCSA study. Taking curves at a high speed is especially problematic, and these accidents usually come down to an error in driver judgment.

Drivers may also have a “lack of sufficient attention.” They may miss the presence of a sudden turn, or they may be drowsy or even asleep at the wheel. Many drivers get distracted, including their CB radios, their smartphones, or other things happening on the road.

Loss of control is another factor. This is usually caused by over or under-steering. It can also be related to over-correcting, where a driver begins to lose control or senses a collision and overcompensates, causing his trailer to tip and rollover.

Failing to scan for road conditions ahead, faulty brakes, failing to assure the security of the load, overloading the vehicle, and bad brakes were other common contributing factors. Mistakes made by other drivers that triggered the accident were also a common factor, making multi-car pileup scenarios that were difficult to assign fault.

How Do I Establish Fault After a Rollover Crash?

The question of “fault” when it comes to car accident claims and lawsuits usually relates to negligence.

All negligence cases have four main parts:

The driver had a duty of care to obey traffic laws, follow industry regulations, and generally exercise “reasonable care” as an “ordinary person” in their profession would
The driver had a breach in their duty of care, either by acting recklessly or by failing to take actions that would have prevented harm
The breach directly caused the accident and the resulting injuries (proximate cause)
The injury led to damages, including financial losses (special damages) and non-financial hardships (general damages)

After their accident, the injury victim will need to file a claim with the third-party liability insurance provider representing the at-fault truck driver or other at-fault parties. To prove that their claim is valid, the victim must be able to argue that the policyholder was somehow negligent.

Negligence can take many forms, including:

A driver who was driving too fast or who was under the influence of over the counter drugs
A trucking company that pressured drivers to complete routes in an unsafe manner
An employer that failed to review hours of service logs to prevent drowsy driving
A truck maintenance company that failed to keep the vehicle’s brakes in working order
The company that owns the trailer if the trailer was found to have unacceptable safety defects because of poor maintenance
Another driver who collided with the truck and caused the initial accident event
The manufacturer of your vehicle’s safety systems if they failed to prevent injury in an unacceptable way

How a Rollover Accident Attorney Can Help You Prove Fault

Your truck rollover accident lawyer will investigate the circumstances of your accident and gather all the evidence they can to establish that one or more parties were negligent. Then, they will build a case to file a strong insurance claim that will, hopefully, result in a fair settlement for all of your losses.

If no reasonable settlement agreement can be made, your attorney can file a lawsuit. They will continue to negotiate with insurers and other parties in an attempt to reach a fair agreement. The case may proceed all the way to the point of a trial, where your attorney will argue in front of a jury that the defendant was negligent and that they should be responsible for repaying all of your damages.

Start the Claims Process with an Experienced Rollover Crash Law Team

You and your family are likely hurting after your truck rollover incident — in more ways than one.

Auger & Auger wants to provide you with the legal resources to assess all of your damages, build a strong case, and fight for compensation with every legal strategy available. We have a proven history of winning cases for our clients, so we know the techniques that get results. Please note that previous results do not guarantee future results, and that every case is different. The only promise we will make is that we will fight and work hard for you!

Find out how you can start filing a claim and seeking the compensation you need when you call 800-559-5741 or contact us online for a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer near you.