Washington residents lead active, productive lives, resulting in busy roadways congested with frustrated drivers. Unfortunately, when a driver fails to take reasonable care or violates traffic laws, the result can be a serious or catastrophic accident. One of the deadliest types of car accidents is a vehicle rollover. Rollover accidents in Washington occur as single-car accidents or as the result of a collision between vehicles. Under Washington’s fault-based car accident laws, it’s essential to understand your options for compensation after suffering injuries and property damage in a rollover accident. Make sure to speak with an experienced Marysville truck accident lawyer for legal guidance and support.
What Causes Rollover Accidents In Washington?
Rollover accidents most often occur when an accident happens at high speed, such as on interstate highways with fast-moving traffic. They also happen on sharp curves or when a vehicle takes a turn too abruptly. The most common causes of Washington rollover accidents include the following:
- Taking curves or turns at too high a speed
- Sudden loss of control due to a sideswipe collision
- T-bone accidents at high speed or powerful force
- “Tripping” or encountering uneven lanes, dangerous curbs, ditches, or drop-offs on the road shoulder
- Collisions with road debris or obstacles
- Tire blowouts
- Overcorrection
- Dangerous roadway debris
- Defective auto parts
- Defective vehicle design
Tall vehicles like SUVs, pickup trucks, and large commercial trucks are top-heavy and more likely to tip and roll over compared to lower vehicles. The restriction of lane sizes doesn’t allow vehicle designers to expand the wheelbase enough to adequately balance increased vehicle height.
What Types of Injuries Occur In Washington Vehicle Rollover Accidents?
When a vehicle rolls over during a crash, its structure collapses around a motorist from various angles, including the roof, causing multiple blunt-force traumas. The result is some of the most serious car accident injuries, including catastrophic or fatal injuries. Common injuries in Washington rollover accidents include the following:
- Single and multiple fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- External head, facial, and dental injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Thoracic and chest injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
- Burns
- Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, strains, tendon damage, or torn ligaments
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
Even those motorists fortunate enough to experience only minor injuries in a rollover accident can find themselves facing a large emergency room bill and days of lost earnings. More commonly, rollover accident victims suffer serious or catastrophic injuries with substantial or long-term consequences on all aspects of life, including earning ability. These consequences of a rollover accident are the damages in a vehicle rollover accident claim in Washington.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Vehicle Rollover Accident Claim?
Rollover accident injuries are expensive to treat and interfere with earning capacity and the ability to manage routine daily tasks. A successful rollover accident claim recovers compensation for damages such as the following:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future income loss
- Reduced earning ability due to disability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for any catastrophic injuries that apply, such as disfigurement, scarring, loss of limb, loss of vision, hearing loss, or diminished quality of life
If a vehicle rollover accident caused by someone else results in a fatality, a close family member can recover wrongful death compensation for their economic losses and emotional anguish.
How Can a Washington Car Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Washington’s fault-based accident laws require an injury victim to prove another party’s liability to recover compensation for their damages. An experienced car accident lawyer investigates the accident, compiles evidence, and calculates the damages to maximize an injury victim’s recovery.
Contact Wells Trumbull for experienced legal representation to maximize your chances of recovering full and fair compensation for your rollover accident damages.