Studies have shown that the strength of a vehicle’s roof can directly affect the seriousness of the injuries suffered by the vehicle’s occupants during an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,000 motorists are killed in rollover accidents each year. In 2007, approximately 10,200 people were killed and more than 220,000 were injured when their sport utility vehicles (SUVs), cars, vans, minivans or trucks flipped or rolled over. The NHTSA has described rollover crashes as some of the “most violent events on America’s highways.” And while rollovers constitute a relatively small number of accidents each year, they account for a disproportionate number of deaths.

But according to public citizen advocates, it doesn’t have to be that way. If auto manufacturers designed stronger roofs, less people would die or be seriously injured in these frightening car accidents. Currently, many fatal rollover accidents involve roof crush: this is when a vehicle’s roof cannot withstand the impact of a crash. Most vehicles are manufactured with thin, unstable roofs that cannot support the weight of the vehicle during a roll. This is partly because federal roof crush safety requirements have remained essentially unchanged for three decades, despite calls for their improvement. As a result, a vehicle’s roof will crush into the passenger compartment during a roll, causing serious head, neck and spinal injuries or even death. Roof crush can also create ejection portals during a rollover accident, leading to fatal injuries.

As recently as September 2008, three auto safety groups conducted real-world tests of six automobiles that had passed federal government roof strength standards and found that in rollovers, crash-test dummies were exposed to impacts that would have caused death or permanent paralysis to actual human occupants. The dummies were restrained by seatbelts during testing. As you can see, even properly functioning safety equipment such as seat belts and airbags cannot always prevent or lessen roof crush injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of roof crush during a car accident, it is crucial that you contact an experienced attorney immediately. Our dedicated injury lawyers can help you obtain all of the compensation to which you may be entitled. This might include money for pain and suffering, emotional distress, medical bills and lost wages or other financial damages. Only an accident lawyer who has resolved many roof crush matters can decide the best strategy for handling your unique case.
At Feldman Shepherd, we are committed to obtaining the best possible recovery for our clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey as expeditiously as possible. We are here to serve you with hard work, attention to detail and a caring approach tailored to your individual needs. If we may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us  today.