Submit your SUV Rollover claim details for a free, no obligation case review.
Get Started:
more_legal_areas suvIn 2000 the government mandated that annual SUV rollover safety report findings be made available to the public. This change in legislation followed the Firestone-Ford scandal investigation when 90 reports of defective Firestone tires on Ford Explorers prompted the recall of billions of dollars worth of automobile tires and vehicles. Though the SUV manufacture came out ahead in the debacle, the US government passed the TREAD act to improve consumer protection from defective automobiles and their parts.
The Transportation Reporting Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act (TREAD) passed in November 2000 requires that SUV rollover safety report tests be conducted on SUVs to test their risk of rollover in an accident. The SUV rollover safety report offers a one to five star rating for each model of SUV, a five being the least likely to rollover in an accident (ten percent or less chance) and a one star being most likely to rollover in an accident (40 percent or greater).
The SUV rollover safety test rating is determined by two tests. The first is called the Static Stability Factor (SSF) test which was first developed in 1986 by Congressman Tim Wirth who petitioned the government to further regulate SUV safety. Though his petition was struck down, the rollover test that he developed is now used by the government in SUV rollover safety report testing.
The static stability factor basically indicates the “top-heaviness” of an SUV which increases the likelihood of rollover in a vehicle accident. The SUV rollover safety report also includes a maneuvering test that determines how an SUV handles on the road in terms of rollover safety. These two figures are combined to give a star rating of each SUV model on the market.
In 1999 SUV rollover accidents killed more than 10,000 people in the United States alone. SUV rollover safety report findings indicate that SUVs are twice as likely to rollover as other passenger vehicles. SUVs also have the highest rollover involvement rate of any vehicle involved in a fatal accident at 36 percent compared to 15 percent for other passenger vehicles.
According to government data and SUV rollover safety report statistics, no one SUV is more likely to rollover than another. Historically, efforts have been made to recall SUVs from the market due to safety concerns, but none have been successful. Prominent SUV manufacturers have acknowledged the risks associated with their products but decline to make SUV design changes because it is too costly to the company.
SUV rollover can be preventable if consumers understand SUV dangers and familiarize themselves with SUV rollover safety report information. If you have been injured as a result of SUV rollover, you have the legal right to seek compensation for your injuries. You may wish to contact a qualified legal professional who can advise you of your legal rights and options in an SUV rollover case.
A California court of appeals ordered Ford Motor Company to pay a jury award of $82.6 million to a woman left paralyzed after a rollover accident in 2002.
In June 2004, Benetta Buell-Wilson and her husband were awarded $369 million, including ...
The first Congress attempt to mandate a standard for SUV rollover protection was in the mid-1980s right after SUVs began to grow in popularity. The auto industry has been able to block any SUV rollover standard thus far, though pressure for congressio...
A San Diego County jury awarded $369 million to a woman left paralyzed when her Ford Explorer rolled over, marking one of the largest personal-injury awards ever against an automaker.
Benetta Buell-Wilson was awarded $246 million in puniti...