Automobile accidents are varied in many different ways such as the typical vehicles involved in a collision, the common contributing factors behind an auto accident, or even the common forms of injury or property damage sustained after an accident. When it comes the different types of auto accident, though there is variety, some of the main forms include rear end collisions, head on accident, side impact, multivehicle pileups, and rollovers. In particular, a rollover accident is a very serious form of collision usually resulting in significant property damage and serious injury, if not a fatality.
What is a Rollover Accident?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rollover accident are complex crashes typically involving a vehicle that is taller and nearer such as an SUV’s, pick-up trucks, or vans. Two of the largest contributing factors to rollover accidents are alcohol and speeding.1 The cause of most rollover accidents is directly related to an issue with stability during a turn that is taken fast or sharply.2 most forms of rollover accidents involve a single vehicle and are considered one of the deadliest risks to SUV, minivan, or truck occupants since an average of 280,000 rollover accidents occur annually with more than 10,000 fatalities.3
Injury in a Rollover Accident
Injury sustained during a rollover accident can be caused by impact with the internal components of the vehicle, external objects protruding into the car such as guardrails or trees, or vehicle occupants being ejected from the vehicle. The extent of injury can also depend on factors such as seatbelt or other restraint device use, the amount of headroom in the vehicle, the strength and security of the vehicle’s roof, and the number of vehicle occupants or other vehicles involved in the accident. The injuries sustained during a rollover accident can be distributed throughout the body, but commonly the most affected area is the head and neck followed by upper limbs, lower limbs, the thorax, and the abdomen.4
When the head or neck sustains injuries during a rollover accident, there is typically a traumatic brain injury, concussion, or skull fracture. Car accidents, rollover accidents in particular, are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries as over half of TBI’s are attributed to an automobile accident.5 This type of injury occurs when there is a force capable of penetrating or fracturing the skull or when shear force causes the brain to collide with the internal bone of the skull.6 Often the cause of a traumatic brain injury is from blunt trauma due to collision with a stationary object like a windshield, pressure from a crushed roof, or landing impact after an ejection.7
In cases in which the impact or blow was not strong enough to reach the brain, there still may be a break in the cranial bone known as a skull fracture.8 There are several types of skull fractures including closed, open, depressed, basal, linear, greenstick, or comminuted.9 These different types are classifications are based on the extent of injury including cases where the force doesn’t break or cut the skin, bone emerges, or when indentation occurs to the brain cavity.10
In a rollover accident, where the head it susceptible to impact, pressure, penetration, or another form of injury, it is important to seek medical assistance and be on the lookout for serious symptoms such as bleeding, bruising, severe pain, swelling, headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, irritability, loss of balance, confusion, excessive drowsiness, or unconsciousness.
Contact an Experienced St. Louis Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation
If you have been involved in a rollover accident and sustained a head injury, it is important to discuss the circumstances of your injury with an experienced auto accident attorney who can help to protect your legal rights and interests. To contact a personal injury attorney for a free consultation please feel free to call the The Bruning Law Firm trial attorneys at 314-735-8100.
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If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured in an auto accident, contact The Bruning Law Firm today. We provide the comprehensive, professional legal representation you deserve at a time when you need it most.
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Resources:
- http://www.safercar.gov/
- http://auto.howstuffworks.com/
- http://www.bjjprocs.boneandjoint.org.uk/
- http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/
- http://www.healthline.com/
