Fort Worth Rollover Accidents
As SUVs gained popularity in the 80s, the next two decades saw an increase in rollover accidents. Better automobile designs made most SUVs less top-heavy by lowering the center of gravity, thus less likely to be involved in a rollover accident. Electronic stability control in all newer vehicles has also proven effective in avoiding crashes—including rollovers—when a driver loses control of the vehicle. Single-vehicle crashes are more likely to involve a rollover than a two-car or multi-car accident, although a rollover can occur in any type of accident.
If you are the victim of a rollover accident, you may have severe injuries, even if you were properly wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. If the accident was not your fault, it can be particularly disheartening to find yourself seriously injured, perhaps unable to work and make a living, and dealing with an insurance company that refuses to pay you what your claim is worth. You need a strong advocate in your corner—an attorney who has significant experience helping those in the Fort Worth area to get their lives back on track. You need an attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm.
Why Choose Noteboom—The Law Firm Following Your Fort Worth Rollover Accident?
If you desperately need a lifeline during this difficult time, all you have to do is pick up the phone and contact attorneys Chuck Noteboom and Brian Butcher. Both Chuck and Brian are Board-Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This allows our firm to bring an exceptional level of knowledge and experience to each case. Noteboom—The Law Firm also has an outstanding array of resources that can make a difference in the outcome of your rollover accident. These resources include an on-staff investigator, a wide variety of experts we can utilize, and medical resources that will help ensure you receive the best treatments available.
It can be risky to trust your health, your finances, and your future to a less experienced law firm. At Noteboom—The Law Firm, we understand that you are feeling alone, unsure of what steps you need to take, and worried about your future. You may be looking at a very long recovery and may even have lifelong effects from your rollover accident including a permanent disability, chronic pain, and emotional trauma. While financial compensation will not fully restore your life and your future, it can go a long way in helping you face your new reality.
The Noteboom attorneys have been handling catastrophic loss cases since 1982, successfully settling more than 90 percent of our cases. We are always overly prepared, ready to go to trial at any time. The superior reputation our firm has across the state of Texas translates into most of our clients being referred by other satisfied clients. Because we are confident in our skills, knowledge, and experience, we tell potential clients, “If you can find a better law firm, hire them.”
Overview of Rollover Accidents
A rollover accident refers to a vehicular accident in which the vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. The vehicle may even roll over multiple times, coming to land upside down or on its side. Large commercial trucks can roll over when taking a corner too quickly, especially if their cargo is not evenly loaded. Rollover accidents are often single-car accidents, caused by the driver taking a curve too quickly, or swerving to miss an animal or other road hazard. When a vehicle turns too quickly, hits an object, or is hit by another vehicle, the vehicle’s center of gravity can abruptly shift, quickly exceeding the stability factor of the vehicle. The stability of a vehicle is primarily determined by the vehicle’s track width and center of gravity. During a Fort Worth rollover accident, the driver and passengers inside are subjected to significant force impacts that can result in serious injuries.
What Are Common Causes of Rollover Accidents in Fort Worth?
There are many different causes of rollover accidents, most notably the speed of the vehicle or vehicles involved. More than 40 percent of all deadly rollover crashes are believed to be caused by excessive speed. In addition to top-heavy SUVs, passenger vans and pickup trucks also have a higher center of gravity and, therefore, are more prone to rollover accidents. Rural roads that lack a divider see more rollover accidents than freeways, particularly rural roads that are curvy.
Distraction is a factor in many Fort Worth rollover accidents—just as it is a factor in a large percentage of all auto accidents. Texting, talking on the phone, eating, setting the navigation system, or turning around to see what the kids or pets are doing in the back seat are all distractions that can cause or contribute to an accident, including a rollover accident. A distracted driver may over-correct by turning the wheel sharply, resulting in a rollover. A tire blowout can also cause a rollover accident, particularly at higher speeds. Overloading a vehicle tends to raise the vehicle’s center of gravity which can result in a rollover accident when the wheel is turned too quickly or sharply.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Resulting from Rollover Accidents?
Because rollover accidents often occur at high speeds, those inside the vehicle may experience severe, even catastrophic injuries. Broken bones are common following a rollover accident as those inside the vehicle are thrown around the interior or even ejected from the vehicle. The violent flipping seen in a rollover accident causes serious head and neck injuries including traumatic brain injuries. Spinal cord injuries—even those that result in partial or full paralysis are also the result of rollover accidents, particularly when the roof of the vehicle caves in from the accident. Internal injuries to the liver, kidneys, and lungs along with internal bleeding are especially dangerous as they may not be readily apparent.
Lacerations from glass and metal are also common injuries stemming from a Fort Worth rollover accident. These lacerations can result in permanent scarring in some cases. Other common injuries from rollover accidents include seatbelt injuries to the shoulder and chest area, as well as broken ribs and broken pelvis injuries. Many of these injuries can result in multiple surgical interventions along with lengthy recoveries. Some of the rollover accident injuries can alter the individual’s life forever, particularly spinal cord injuries and TBIs.
What Types of Damages are Available in a Rollover Accident Personal Injury Claim?
Following a Fort Worth rollover accident, you may be entitled to one or more of the following types of damages:
- Economic damages include medical expenses (both current and future, including rehabilitative therapies and prescription drugs), lost wages, and lost future earnings. Economic damages all have a specific dollar amount attached to them, so are relatively easy to calculate.
- Non-economic damages are those damages that are less easy to quantify and include pain and suffering. Pain can include actual physical pain that affects your ability to function on a daily basis as well as emotional pain and trauma resulting from the accident.
- Punitive damages are rare but can be awarded to a plaintiff when the defendant acted deliberately, maliciously, or in a particularly egregious manner.
How Noteboom—The Law Firm Can Assist You with Your Rollover Accident Claim
While you have many choices in attorneys following your Fort Worth rollover accident, we believe that once you have spoken to an attorney from Noteboom—The Law Firm, your choice will be crystal clear. When you hire our firm, you have taken an important step toward a favorable outcome and the help you need. Noteboom—The Law Firm, takes a collaborative approach to every case we take. This approach consistently yields favorable results for our clients. Contact Noteboom—The Law Firm today for highly experienced legal representation following your Fort Worth rollover accident.