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SUVs, or sport utility vehicles, have become incredibly popular in this country. While they generally offer drivers and passengers more overall space, their tendency to roll over and cause injury or death has become a major concern.

How ‘station wagons’ became SUVs

Rick Morrison, and an Alabama attorney, represents clients who have been injured in SUV rollover and auto safety cases. He explained how the SUV’s safety issues started. According to Morrison, “SUVs in the mid 1980s were the replacement for which we all know as the station wagon. However, when SUV’s were first introduced in this market, models like the Ford Bronco and the General Motors Blazer, they were built with a narrow track width at a high center of gravity.”

“They were much more than the traditional passenger vehicle and the consumer, the driver, would often be faced with a maneuver – say an animal that runs out in the middle of the road, a ball or even worse, a child in the neighborhood – that caused them to avoid that danger. When faced with these challenges, the driver tries to steer and avoid what’s in front of them. However, because there is such a high center of gravity coupled with a narrow track width, the vehicle will rollover when it gets sideways as opposed to spinning out or sliding out like most passenger vehicles.”

Three key questions

When a potential client has been injured in an SUV rollover case, Morrison says that there are three key questions that he asks. He explained, “The first question I’m going to ask them is when their accident occurred because certain states have time limitations (statutes of limitation) as to when you can bring a claim.”

“The second question I’m going to ask them is what type of vehicle was involved because some vehicles, such as the Ford Explorer and the General Motor’s Blazer and Trailblazer models, traditionally have a worse track record and a worse rating as far as rollover and protection is concerned.”

“The third question I’m going to ask them is where the vehicle is now because if they do not have the vehicle, they may not be able to pursue a claim. I know that’s the case in Alabama and a lot of other jurisdictions. The vehicle is the very evidence you need to pursue a claim against any one of the manufacturers and you need to preserve that vehicle as best you can.”

If you’ve been injured in an SUV that has rolled over, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law and who understands the differences between the various makes and models of SUVs and their safety records. To contact an experienced attorney near you, please click here.