Rollover accidents are a genuine threat to our safety on Nevada highways. In March, a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 15 injured six people near Logandale, including a woman who was flown to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada with life-threatening injuries. Rollovers are complicated and violent vehicle crashes. While a vehicle’s design may be an important factor – in fact, it may be defective and responsible for a rollover – rollovers can also be the result of poor driving or poor road and weather conditions.
If you are injured in a rollover accident anywhere in the Las Vegas area, you may have grounds to file a product liability claim against the vehicle’s manufacturer, and if your claim prevails, you will be compensated for your medical treatment, lost income, and other expenses associated with your injury. After any traffic accident with injuries, contact an experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney immediately. Knowing the risk factors listed here and how to minimize the risk of a rollover will help you stay safe on Nevada’s streets and highways:
1. Make and model: Any vehicle can rollover, but vans, pickups, and SUVs have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to rollover accidents.
2. Speed: Speed can make the difference between a minor incident and a fatality. Nearly 75 percent of fatal rollover accidents happen where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher.
3. Drinking: Almost half of the fatal rollover crashes in the U.S. are alcohol-related.
4. Setting: A rural road rather than an urban street is more likely to be the scene of a fatal rollover.
Many Nevadans and visitors rely on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for general recreational enjoyment as well as for primary transportation on hunting and fishing trips. ATVs can be great fun for the whole family; ATVs can also be extremely dangerous and lead to rollover accidents. Simply following these commonsense safety tips will help avoid ATV rollover accidents:
1. Get training; courses on ATV operation and ATV safety are widely available.
2. Always wear a helmet when operating an ATV
3. Do not allow children on ATVs designed for adults
4. Never ride a passenger or as a passenger
5. Never ride on pavement; in many respects, ATVs are not like automobiles.
6. Never, ever ride or operate an ATV while under the influence
If you or a loved one is injured in an ATV accident in Nevada, whether through equipment failure or through human error or negligence, it’s important for you to speak to someone about your injury and your legal situation. Admit no fault and sign no insurance forms before speaking to a personal injury attorney. Make and keep copies of any police, medical, or insurance paperwork generated from an ATV accident. Take photos, if possible, of any personal injuries or property damage.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 85 percent of rollover-related fatalities happen in single-vehicle crashes. With no other vehicle involved, if you are injured, you are probably looking at a product liability suit charging the vehicle manufacturer with designing the vehicle defectively. If you’re injured in a rollover crash anywhere in Nevada, arrange to speak at once with an experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney.
