Rollover Accidents

Rollover Accidents in Michigan: When Vehicles Become Death Traps

Rollover accidents are terrifying and disproportionately deadly. While they account for only about 3% of all crashes nationally, they're responsible for roughly 30% of vehicle occupant fatalities. The reason is straightforward: when a vehicle rolls, occupants are subjected to repeated violent impacts as the roof, pillars, and interior surfaces strike them from multiple directions. Seatbelts can fail or cause their own injuries during the rotational forces. Occupants can be partially or fully ejected through windows. And the roof itself can crush inward — a phenomenon called roof crush — compressing the survival space and causing catastrophic head and spine injuries.

At Koussan Law, I represent rollover accident victims and pursue every responsible party — from the negligent driver who caused the crash to the vehicle manufacturer whose design made the rollover survivable only on paper. These cases often involve both negligence claims and product liability claims, and the combination of multiple defendants with multiple insurance policies is what makes adequate recovery possible.

Why Certain Vehicles Roll Over

Vehicles with a high center of gravity — SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans — are inherently more prone to rollover. But rollover propensity is also a design issue. Manufacturers make decisions about track width (the distance between the left and right wheels), suspension design, electronic stability control calibration, and tire specifications that directly affect a vehicle's resistance to rollover. When a manufacturer designs a vehicle that's unreasonably prone to rollover — or skimps on electronic stability control to save cost — that's a product liability claim under Michigan law.

Roof crush is the other critical design issue. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216 sets minimum roof strength requirements, but many safety advocates argue the standard is inadequate. When a roof collapses during a rollover, it invades the occupant's survival space and causes injuries that wouldn't have occurred in a vehicle with a stronger roof. I work with automotive engineers who can demonstrate that the vehicle's roof failed below what was technologically feasible and economically practical — the standard for a design defect claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What causes rollover accidents?

The most common causes: overcorrection after drifting off the road (the tires catch the pavement edge and the vehicle trips), excessive speed in curves, tire blowouts that destabilize the vehicle, collisions with other vehicles (particularly side impacts that push the vehicle sideways), and top-heavy loading. SUVs, pickups, and vans are most susceptible due to their higher center of gravity. I investigate both the driving behavior and the vehicle design in every rollover case.

Q: Can I sue the vehicle manufacturer for a rollover?

Yes, if a design defect made the vehicle unreasonably prone to rollover or if the vehicle's crashworthiness was deficient (roof crush, seatbelt failure, door latch failure, inadequate side glazing). Michigan product liability law under MCL § 600.2946 allows claims against manufacturers for design defects. The vehicle doesn't have to cause the crash — it just has to fail to protect you as well as a reasonable alternative design would have. I retain automotive engineers and crashworthiness experts to establish these claims.

Q: What injuries are common in rollover accidents?

Traumatic brain injuries from roof crush and interior contact, spinal cord injuries from axial loading during roof intrusion, ejection injuries (the leading cause of death in rollovers), fractures from multiple interior impacts, and internal organ damage. Rollover injuries are frequently catastrophic because the occupant experiences multiple impacts from multiple directions during the roll sequence.

Q: What is the statute of limitations for a rollover accident claim in Michigan?

Three years from the date of the accident under MCL § 600.5805 for the negligence claim against the other driver. Product liability claims against the manufacturer are also subject to the three-year statute, plus the 10-year statute of repose under MCL § 600.5805(13). PIP benefits have a one-year-back rule under MCL § 500.3145.