California Injury Blog
A rollover crash in San Bernardino, which officials say was caused by speed and unsafe lane changes, sent six people to the hospital. According to a news report in the San Bernardino Sun, witnesses told police that the driver of a Honda Civic cut off a Chevy Suburban while making a turn. The driver of the Suburban then reportedly made a lane change and lost control causing the vehicle to rollover, the report said.
The crash caused minor to moderate injuries to four people in the Suburban and two in the Civic. The Suburban hit a Jeep Cherokee as it flipped over, but thankfully the driver of the Jeep did not suffer any injuries.
It is a miracle that this accident did not result in catastrophic injuries. It seems as if the driver of the Honda Civic was who triggered this rollover accident, but had the Chevy Suburban been better designed, it would not have flipped over. The Suburban has been known to cause serious injuries in rollover accidents because of its weak roof that caves in when it flips. The roof crushes the occupants within leaving them with severe traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. The occupants of the Suburban are very fortunate that they did not suffer major injuries.
Although the Honda driver seemingly started the sequence of events, General Motor Corporation’s negligent design of this vehicle caused it to roll over in such a situation. In this case, GMC would be liable for any injuries sustained because of the rollover, not the driver of the Suburban.
Of course, a slick insurance defense law firm can make a great case for the Honda driver not being responsible for this accident because there was no “touching” between the Honda and the Suburban. Generally speaking, those involved in this and other auto accidents will be well-advised to retain an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who can help investigate the incident thoroughly and independently. Battling with insurance companies can seem very lonely when you have to do it all by yourself.
Moreover, we have dealt with clients who’ve had to undergo significant medical expenses, even in so-called minor injuries, such as whiplash or back injuries that could use chiropractic treatment. And most medical insurance policies do not cover that. It’s absolutely important to determine who is financially responsible in an accident so that innocent victims don’t end up paying money out of their pockets.