Pickup Rollover Accidents Claim More Oklahoma Lives

Two people were killed in a rollover accident on July 30 after a 2004 Dodge pickup crossed the center line of Oklahoma Highway 12, then overcorrected and rolled about four times, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. A 25-year-old Ratliff City man died at the scene. A 43-year-old Wynnewood woman was later pronounced dead at Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton from injuries sustained in the rollover accident. A third victim sustained serious injuries.

Rollover accidents are one of the deadliest risks facing SUV, minivan, and pickup truck occupants. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported each year, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually.

In 2011, there were 4,461 rollover accidents in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, up nearly 16 percent from the previous year. Rollovers are among the most dangerous types of motor vehicle accidents and often leave drivers and passengers with severe injuries.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the truck left the right side of the road and traveled about 385 feet. The driver overcorrected again, and the truck went into a broad slide across both lanes. Neither the driver nor the two passengers were wearing seatbelts. According to a newspaper report, the airbags in the pickup did not deploy.

Rollover accidents are directly related to a vehicle’s stability in turns. That stability is influenced by the relationship between the center of gravity and the track width (distance between the left and right wheels). A high center of gravity and narrow track can make a vehicle unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction—increasing the odds that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways. The problem is most pronounced in 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks and SUVs.

A 35-year-old man was killed in a rollover accident in Oklahoma City on Aug. 3, according to News9.com. Authorities say the victim was driving a Ford Raptor pickup truck in a field around the man’s workshop, near 149^th and Santa Fe Ave. The victim somehow lost control and the vehicle rolled one time. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was partially ejected.

Neither cars nor trucks are subject to a federal rollover standard, though pressure for such a requirement has been building.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an Oklahoma rollover accident due to the negligence of another, you may be eligible for legal recourse. It is imperative for injury victims to seek legal advice from an experienced attorney.

The Oklahoma personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Burch, George & Germany, P.C., are here to help you if you have been in a car crash, motorcycle wreck, truck collision, or other accident. The truck accident lawyers at Burch, George & Germany, P.C., help clients in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Norman to win their personal injury cases and get the justice and compensation they deserve.

Resources:

• Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (ok.gov/ohso)
• National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (nhsta.gov)