Rollover accidents under scrutiny

March 07, 2013 (Press-News.org) Rollover accidents under scrutiny

Article provided by Murphy & Johnson, S.C.
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Many of us traveling on an interstate highway have seen the aftermath of a bad accident. There may be many vehicles involved, and other cars and trucks have no way to avoid the collision. Often, some of the occupants of those vehicles end up with serious injuries.

Trucking accidents can be especially dangerous for fellow motorists. A recent truck accident in Wisconsin showed how fortunate some individuals are to escape without being seriously injured. A truck was traveling from a field onto a roadway. One of the tires did not grip the road, leading to the truck rolling over. The driver was treated at the scene, and did not need to be hospitalized.

Preventing these rollover accidents has been a major focus of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one of the agencies responsible for regulating the trucking industry. The NHTSA has recommended that semi trucks and other large vehicles such as buses be equipped with anti-rollover technology, and would require the devices to be implemented within two to four years of the rule being passed.

This technology, called electronic stability control (ESC), would place monitors in each wheel that could control the speed if an emergency situation occurred. This would prevent the trailers from swinging out of control, the main cause of many of the rollover trucking accidents.

The NHTSA states that ESCs could potentially prevent 56 percent of rollover accidents from happening, along with an additional 14 percent of loss-of-control crashes. It estimates that this would save 49 to 60 lives each year.

The ESC technology has received some criticism over potential problems that may arise. The trucking industry has expressed concern over the proposed changes, believing that there is other technology that can help reduce the amount of trucking accidents. The industry feels that the technology may be too expensive to implement in such a short time period, leading some industry experts to estimate that these changes could cost the industry in excess of $100 million.

The NHTSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation remain committed to finding a way to make our roadways safer. Rollover accidents have received much of the recent attention because of the potential injuries and deaths that may result. Trucks that are out-of-control or rolling over can make it impossible for other drivers to make the moves necessary to avoid accidents, often leading to multi-vehicle pile-ups.

Being in an accident can be a traumatic experience. You may worry about bills that are going unpaid while you are missing work due to your recovery. These cases are all different, and it is important to work with someone who has experience handling these matters. Speak to an experienced personal injury attorney about your case to determine if you may be eligible for compensation.