Rollovers & Roof Crush
Rollover Injuries & Deaths from Roof Crush, Roof Failure, Roof Collapse and Roofing System Welding Failures
Thousands of Americans are killed and others suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of weak vehicle roofs that collapse during rollovers. In many of these roof crush/roof collapse cases, the roof supports known as the roof pillars, collapse allowing the roof to intrude into the occupant space. Typically persons injured by roof crush have lower-cervical neck fractures (C4, C5 or C6), brain contusions, closed head injuries and even death. In investigating a rollover roof crush can it is important to determine what part of the vehicle caused the injury. If the person remains in their original seated position, then one must determine the point of contact from the intruding roof onto the head. Many times upon careful inspection such evidence or “head print” can be found.
Roof crush injuries are caused by the energy of the vehicle in a roll creating compressive forces pushing down on the top of skull when the head is in an upright position. The compression causes a bursting fracture in the C5 to C7 of the cervical spine. This bursting fracture causes a loss of intravertebral space both anterior and posterior.
In other rollovers, the roof intruding is not the cause of injury, but it is when the occupant “drives” into the roof, resulting in the head flexing forward before receiving an impact to the top of the head. This causes the bone in cervical vertebrae to fracture, NOT BURST. The posterior corner of the vertebrae then impinges directly against the spinal cord resulting in loss of anterior vertebrae body height.
Diving type injuries can happen to belted occupants, who for many reasons become unbelted or unrestrained during a rollover. This can happen by inertia release of the buckle, false latching of the buckle, came-out, or unintentional or inadvertent release. Many times persons in serious accidents are later convinced by law enforcement or others that prior to the rollover, that they were properly restrained. However, in all roof crushes cases, a biomedical-engineer or biomechanical expert must be hired to study the medical records, physical injuries and the vehicle in which the injured person was an occupant. Only after a thorough inspection, can the tail prints of the injury be determined.
Roof Support Failure Roof Pillar Collapse Lawsuit
With the growing numbers of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) on the roads, so is the number of rollovers increasing as well. Rollovers are not of course confined to SUVs, as small subcompacts also have a high rollover rate as well. In fact, small cars are four (4) times more likely to be involved in a rollover and roof crush as full-sized luxury cars. The smaller the vehicles, usually the less deformation of the roof during a rollover. In fact, larger American vehicles and especially pick-up trucks cannot withstand a rollover without serious roof crush. According to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216, a roof pillar a passenger car must deform no more than five (5) inches when subjected to a force of 1 1/2 times the vehicle’s weight, or 5,000 lbs. whichever is less. Pickup trucks (light trucks) are not even required to meet the minimal requirement of FMVSS 216. For example, the roof pillars of a 6,000 lb. pickup truck would need to withstand only 5/6 of the vehicles own weight in order to pass FMV’s 216, even though the trucks roof often crushes under its own weight. This “standard” only applies to the front roof supports/pillars not the center or rears ones (if any).
Roofs crush as a result of an energy assault or over compression of the roof supports. This is caused when the vehicle is inverted and begins its downward path of the vehicle and its center of gravity into the roadway or the ground. At that moment the roof pillars start to crush under this energy assault to its structure.
To the untrained observer, roof pillars of most vehicles appear solid and sturdy, especially strong enough to withstand a roof crush in a rollover. The surprises come through when one looks at a cross-section of the pillar. Most are nothing more than folded/molded corrugated sheet metal, being hollow inside. Therefore, when impact occurs the metal folds over into the empty inner space allowing more folding or crushing to continue. Studies show that if the inner part of the pillars are either filled with high density foam or honey combed structure, then roof crush is at a minimal, thus saving lives!!
Most automotive engineers agree injuries are reduced dramatically if the occupants stay inside the rolling vehicle. In fact, one has a five times greater chance of being killed or seriously injured if thrown from the vehicle. To accomplish this, door latches must be engineered to remain belted and window shields must be intact, all to help retain the occupant.
In the late 1960′s a Ford engineer suggested that Ford make stronger roofs to prevent injuries, especially since the installation of shoulder harnesses was becoming mandatory. With its implementation, more occupants would remain in an upright position during a rollover, subjecting them to more head injury due to the inability the occupant to bend as the roof collapses on to them.
Another noted engineer, Don Huelke, used by many of the automakers in their defense of roof crush cases, stated that (severity of all injuries increases with roof crush). The amount of roof crush is directly attributed to the severity of the non-ejected occupant’s injuries to occupants in 266 accidents, in which the injuries ranged from just minor cuts to quadriplegia and death.
The Essentials to Winning a Rollover Roof Crush Case
- Vehicle and accident site inspection as soon after the accident as possible.
- Preservation of the vehicle in its condition after the accident. If the vehicle gets destroyed and the ability to win or even pursue a roof crush product liability case is severely compromised.
- Having an experienced accident investigator to take accurate and complete statements of all occupants, law enforcers, EMS personal and witnesses.
- Having an Accident Reconstruction Engineer to determine how the accident occurred.
- Having Biomedical or Biomechanical experts, if necessary, to determine what part of vehicle caused the plaintiffs injuries.
- Interview the plaintiffs treating medical physicians.
- In catastrophic injuries, the resulting in paraplegia. Quadriplegia, or serious head injuries, hiring a life care plan consultant to evaluate the cost of medical care to the seriously injured plaintiff and estimate ALL medical and life care needs over this person’s lifetime.
- Consult with an experienced Product liability attorney.
Rollover & Roof Crush Defects Evaluation
If you or a member of your family has been involved in a SUV rollover accident, van rollover, truck rollover with a severe roof crush, roof pillar collapse failure or any other serious accident or failure and you have questions about whether the vehicle or roof design may caused or contributed to the accident or injuries, then call us now. Mr. Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney with over 20 years of product liability and Rollover litigation experience. Call the Willis Law Firm at 1-800-883-9858 for a Free & Confidential Consultation or Click Here
PLEASE NOTE: The statements and information provided on this web site are for the informational purposes only. This law firm is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information purposes only .This webpage is provided to you to assist in SUV Rollover accidents, passenger van rollovers, 15 passenger van rollover accidents, recalls, truck accidents & rollovers, tire tread defects, tire separations, roof crush and roof pillar collapse, seat belt failures, fuel fed fires and other related rollover accident issues, including rollover injuries and deaths. This site is not intended to provide legal advice to the reader and NO attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to arise from the receipt this page and/or its associated pages or any oral or e-mail communication to or from with the Willis Law Firm. There will be NO lawsuits filed, claims made, letters or phone calls made for a prospective client, until that person is represented by the firm. An attorney client relationship only arises after the attorney and client have signed a written attorney client contract.
Mr. Willis is licensed attorney in New York and Texas. He is a Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Lawyer, certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Read more about Board Certification, Here Principle office is Houston, Texas.
Mr. Willis has represented clients in personal injury, auto accident, SUV rollover, van & truck rollovers and other product liability and negligence cases from across the United States, including clients from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin & West Virginia.
Further, any statement or reference to past personal injury, products liability or SUV rollover lawsuits, settlements or verdicts should NOT be relied upon in one’s own case or in your decision on which law firm to hire. All clients’ cases, facts, injuries, damages, venues and lawsuits are different and there is NO way to predict the outcome of a particular case, verdict of a jury or judge or the strength of a case before a judge, jury or the appellate court system. The client is responsible for all of their own medical expenses. All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis. NO attorney’s fees or case costs charged to client, unless a recovery is made for the client. Often in very serious and catastrophic injury and death cases Mr. Willis may associate with another products liability attorney as co-counsel and in other matters, the case may be referred. In cases where a legal matter is referred, Mr. Willis will continue to maintain joint responsibility with the handling attorney or lead counsel and actively monitor the progress and development of the case. Due to his 22+ years of experience in personal injury and products liability cases, Mr. Willis will often continue to assist in working with the hired experts and engineers and in research of the defective product or other related legal matters in the case.