WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND DANGERS OF AUTO ROOF FAILURES?

Roof collapses are more frequent in larger vehicles, such as trucks, minivans, and SUVs. They tend to occur when a vehicle “rolls over,” or flips. Rollovers usually happen when these vehicles “trip” by hitting a hazard, such as a guardrail, median, or piece of debris on the road. The impact throws off the vehicle’s momentum and causes it to roll over, potentially triggering a roof collapse if the vehicle’s design or construction is defective.

In a rollover, a vehicle’s roof can fail because of:

• Insufficient or defective materials
• The vehicle’s center of gravity being too high
• Improperly placed or designed roof pillars

WHAT IS A CRUMPLE ZONE?

Automobiles with proper safety features require front and rear sections that absorb collision forces and “crumple” when impacted. These areas are known as the “crumple zone,” also sometimes called the “crash zone.” When working as intended, your vehicle’s crumple zone will absorb some of the energy sustained in an accident to protect you and your passengers from the full force of the impact. The scope and design of the crumple zone will depend on the size and weight of your vehicle.

COMMON INJURIES IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING AUTO ROOF FAILURES

The strength of a vehicle’s roof is critical in protecting occupants in a rollover crash. The size, weight, and shape of a vehicle can affect how strong the roof needs to be to achieve sufficient crashworthiness. When these design standards are not met or manufacturing errors affect the stability of the roof, occupants of a vehicle are more likely to sustain more severe injuries in an accident.

Our vehicle roof collapse attorneys are ready to represent you if you suffered any of the following injuries:

• Broken bones and/or fractures
• Internal injuries and/or internal bleeding
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Burns, scarring, and/or disfigurement
• Paralysis and/or spinal cord injuries

WHO IS LIABLE FOR VEHICLE ROOF COLLAPSES?

Vehicle manufacturers have a duty to ensure their vehicles are crashworthy and that roofs will not fail during an accident, especially in larger vehicles that are more prone to rollovers. Defects that trigger auto roof failures tend to occur in the design or manufacturing processes. A vehicle manufacturer may choose a more inexpensive design even if it means compromising passenger safety, or they could reduce oversight at a production facility that leads to preventable manufacturing errors. In either scenario, the vehicle manufacturer is typically liable for roof collapses.

To prove liability, you will need to show that the vehicle’s roof was unreasonably dangerous due to a design or manufacturing defect and did not function as designed. You must then prove the defect led to more severe injuries than you would have sustained had the roof not failed.

WHAT DAMAGES CAN I RECOVER IN A VEHICLE ROOF COLLAPSE LAWSUIT?

You only have a certain amount of time, called the “statute of limitations,” to file a vehicle roof collapse lawsuit against the vehicle manufacturer. This time limit varies by state and is tied to the date of the accident. If an auto roof failure results in death, qualifying survivors of the victim will get additional time from the date of the victim’s passing to bring a wrongful death claim. You cannot recover any compensation if you wait too long to take legal action, so it is in your best interest to explore your options as soon as you can after an accident.

Our vehicle roof collapse lawyers will fight to get you compensation for all monetary and non-monetary losses related to your injuries, including:

• Past, current, and future medical expenses
• Property damage
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disability
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Disfigurement