SUV Accident Attorneys in Waldorf

All motor vehicle accidents have the potential to cause serious injury or death; however, some vehicles are more prone to certain types of accidents and can therefore be more dangerous than others. Such is the case with the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Although the popularity of SUVs tends to decline when the economy is in recession and/or oil and gas prices are high, they still maintain a large presence on U.S. roads and in nationwide crash statistics.

What is an SUV?

An SUV is a station wagon style motor vehicle that is built on a light truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel-drive and can hold the same number of occupants as a large sedan or minivan. It also has better towing capabilities than a passenger car. Early SUVs were descendants of military and commercial vehicles, like the Land Rover and Jeep, but have since evolved to include a wide range of body styles and sizes. There may be various styles of SUVs, but they are all still built on light truck chassis, which means that SUVs are higher off the ground than passenger cars. It is this fact that makes SUVs more prone to serious injury accidents.

SUV Rollover Accidents

There are multiple types of vehicles that are built on a chassis that is higher off the ground, such as pick-up trucks, but SUVs, with their higher occupant carrying capacity, can very easily become top-heavy. Everyday maneuvers such as turning are more difficult to control. If an SUV driver enters a turn at too high a speed, the SUV may tip over. This type of accident, that can cause a vehicle to tip over and even completely roll over, is, as the action suggests, a rollover accident. Depending on the speed and path of the SUV, any type of accident may result in a rollover. Rollovers are not only extremely dangerous for the occupants of the SUV, but for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists on the road. SUVs are bigger, taller, and heavier than typical passenger cars and cannot be driven like a traditional passenger vehicle.

SUV Crash Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), light trucks, which include utility vehicles, were involved in 17,902 fatal accidents and 1,066,000 injury accidents across the nation in 2009. Compact utility vehicles accounted for 5,101 of these crashes, and large utility vehicles accounted for 1,504 crashes. Additional statistics conclude that SUVs were involved in:

2,234 fatal rollover crashes;

4,690 non-rollover fatal crashes;

42,000 rollover crashes causing injury; and

406,000 non-rollover crashes causing injury.

Pursuing Maximum Compensation

All drivers have a responsibility to drive safely and in accordance with traffic laws. If a person chooses to purchase an SUV, then they must be committed to adjusting their driving style to suit the particular handling of that vehicle. If an SUV driver operates their vehicle in a negligent or reckless manner, then the chances of causing a serious injury or even fatal accident greatly increases. If you have been injured in an SUV accident in Maryland that was caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another, you have the legal right to hold the at-fault party liable for your losses in civil court.

At Alpert Schreyer, our experienced Waldorf SUV accident attorneys can help you understand your legal options and answer all of your questions. To discuss your potential injury claim with one of our Maryland traffic accident lawyers, contact us today for a free consultation at (301) 932-9997 or (800) 489-1577.