Our Los Angeles Rollover Accident Lawyer Can Help You
The City of Los Angeles is the most populous in the U.S. state of California. With roughly 3.9 million residents within the city limits as of 2020, Los Angeles is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind only New York City; it is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of the Southern California region. If you need a Los Angeles Rollover Accident Lawyer? Contact Pacific Attorney Group for expert legal representation in rollover accident cases.
If you’re unfortunate enough to get involved in a rollover accident, you’ll almost certainly need legal representation in its aftermath. The team of attorneys at Pacific Attorney Group can help you to determine the cause of your accident and who else, if anyone, may be financially liable for it. Then we can help you to get the restitution you deserve for your pain, suffering, and financial losses resulting from the accident.
You can reach us at the Pacific Attorney Group by calling 1-800-358-9617 or by filling out our free consultation contact form online. We’ll assign an expert Los Angeles rollover accidents lawyer to review the details of your accident and help you determine the proper steps to take. You shouldn’t wait, however, because the fallout from your accident certainly won’t.
To drive that point home, here’s everything you need to know about Rollover accidents in California. We’ll cover what causes them and some of the relevant laws about them here in the Golden State. Let’s dive in.
The Major Causes of Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents, although rare, can be life-altering events. Therefore, it’s important to understand a bit about how they happen so you can make an effort to avoid getting into one. That effort is important because the National Highway Traffic Administration estimates that as many as 85% of rollover accidents are single-vehicle accidents.
That means they don’t often stem from collisions with other vehicles. More often than not, they happen when a driver maneuvers at high speed to avoid a crash. They’re also affected by a variety of other factors. Those factors include:
- Excessive Speed – Driving above the posted speed limit of a given road can significantly increase your odds of a rollover accident. Those speed limits take into account the types of maneuvering you’ll need to do as you drive on the road. If you exceed the speed limit, you could lose control of your vehicle and get into a rollover accident.
- Type of Vehicle – The kind of car you’re driving also plays a big role in your rollover risk. SUVs and other large vehicles with high centers of gravity are many times more likely to get into a rollover accident. However, if you drive a vehicle with advanced safety equipment like front and side-curtain airbags, reinforced roofs, and electronic traction and stability control can improve your odds of surviving a rollover accident.
- Road Location – The most common place where drivers experience rollover accidents are on rural roads with speed limits of 55 or more. The combination of uneven terrain, challenging turns, and lack of roadway barriers contributes to their risk.
- Road Conditions – Two of the things that drastically increase the odds of a rollover risk are inclement weather and unexpected road obstructions. It’s easier to lose control of your vehicle when your visibility’s impaired or when the roadway is slick or icy. Also, road obstructions like downed tree limbs, potholes, or other unexpected debris play a role in a significant percentage of rollover accidents.
The thing is, however, that many of the factors that contribute to rollover accidents imply that there’s third-party liability, even in a single-vehicle accident. That’s one of the things that a Los Angeles rollover accidents lawyer from the Pacific Attorney Group can help you determine in the aftermath of a rollover accident.
The Types of Rollover Accidents
Now that you know some of the factors that contribute to rollover accidents, you may be curious as to how they happen. There are multiple types of rollover accidents you could get involved in. They include:
- Bounce-over Accidents – A bounce-over accident occurs when your vehicle hits an object, such as a speed bump or other obstruction, causing it to bounce and turn over.
- Climb-over Accidents – As the name implies, this is a type of rollover accident where your vehicle hits another vehicle or object. As it climbs over it, your vehicle could tip over or roll over completely.
- Trip-over Accidents – A trip-over accident occurs when you lose control of your vehicle due to sudden deceleration or an unexpected sharp turn while at speed.
- Flip-over Accidents – A flip-over accident happens when your vehicle encounters an uneven surface or strikes a fixed object like a guardrail, causing it to overturn.
- Forced Rollover Accidents – A forced rollover happens as a result of a collision with another vehicle. It may occur if the other vehicle strikes your vehicle significantly below or above its center of gravity. The disturbance forces your vehicle to overturn.
- Fall-over Accidents – Although uncommon on paved roads, a fall-over accident occurs when you maneuver your vehicle on uneven terrain beyond its ability to maintain its center of gravity. It’s a common occurrence in off-road or other rural settings.
No matter the type of rollover accident you’re involved in, you’ll want the help of an experienced Los Angeles rollover accidents lawyer to help you figure out your legal options afterward. Otherwise, you could end up unnecessarily paying for your medical and vehicle repair costs when another responsible party should cover them. Depending on the details of your accident, you might also receive payments to cover your pain, suffering, and lost wages resulting from your rollover accident.
California Rollover Accident Laws
While there aren’t any California laws specific to rollover accidents, there are several aspects of California law that apply them. You must enlist the help of a Los Angeles rollover accidents lawyer to help you navigate them. Among other things, they’ll explain:
How Insurance Coverage Applies to Rollover Accidents
If another driver is at fault for your rollover accident, their insurance coverage will apply. In California, all drivers must have liability insurance covering at least $15,000 for injuries to another person, $30,000 for injuries to multiple people, and up to $5,000 in property damage. Or, they may deposit $35,000 in an account or purchase a $35,000 surety bond to satisfy the minimum insurance requirement. A Los Angeles rollover accidents lawyer can help you work with another driver’s insurance provider to receive the compensation you deserve after a rollover accident.
How California Assigns Fault
A rollover accident lawyer will also help you to understand how the state of California assigns blame in an accident and how that will affect your outcome. In California, you can seek financial compensation for an accident as long as you’re not 100% responsible for it. When the time comes for a settlement, you’ll receive a share of the awarded amount that’s commensurate with your level of culpability in the accident.
Applicable Statutes of Limitations
In the State of California, there is a two-year statute of limitations that applies to all claims for personal injury or wrongful death. It begins the moment you’re involved in a rollover accident. So, if you plan to seek monetary compensation in the aftermath of a rollover accident, you must act fast. When you speak to one of our expert rollover accident lawyers, they’ll go over this with you in detail.
Call the Top Auto Accident Lawyers in Los Angeles, CA
The bottom line here is that you’d do well to do everything in your power to avoid getting into a rollover accident. If you do get into one, there’s a good chance you’ll suffer severe and life-altering injuries, if you survive at all. In the aftermath of a rollover accident, however, your choice of legal representation matters. So, contact the Pacific Attorney Group by calling 1-800-358-9617 or by filling out our free consultation contact form online as soon after a rollover accident as you are able. We’ll make sure to fight for your rights and help you get back to your life after a rollover accident.