SUV Rollover / Ejection / Partial Ejection

San Antonio Injury Laywer Ramon Cervantes III - SUV Rollover Cases

Approximately 2,000 belted individuals are annually killed in SUV rollovers. Unsuspecting people properly buckled are killed or maimed due to head and neck injuries that occur in an SUV rollover accident. During a rollover, sometimes the glass on a side door shatters or blows out, and their seat belt fails to prevent their head from traveling through the opening of the preexisting glass window. This occurrence is known as “partial ejection”. The buckled occupant strikes their head against the ground or their head is crushed between the vehicle and ground as the vehicle is rolling. It is very possible to avert this entirely with:

1. Laminated side glass, similar to the windshield, it uses a plastic liner between two sheets of glass to serve as a “net” and preventing partial ejection of the head.
2. Seat integrated restraints, where the shoulder harness is positioned in the top portion of the seat, as opposed to the side pillars. This minimizes lateral excursion of the head.
3. Rollover activated pretensioners, these pull the restraint into the occupant in an impending rollover, and restricting lateral head movement.
4. Roof rail mounted side air curtains. These deploy down from the side roof rain during a rollover, and they supply a helpful barrier between the occupant’s head and the outside of the vehicle.

Alternative designs, such as the aforementioned have been in existence for years. Automobile manufactures that refuse to utilize these designs are responsible for defective vehicles that cause partial ejection deaths and devastating injuries. Laminated side glass has been available since 1967. Seat-integrated restraints were developed in the early 1970’s by GM and Ford. Chrysler incorporated these in their 1996 models, GM in their late 1990’s vehicles and Ford into their early 2000 vehicles. Since 2002, rollover activated pretensioners and roof-rail mounted side air curtains have been available.

Court orders and consequent document productions of several hundred thousand pages of internal documents have been obtained that illustrate the automobile companies’ refusal to comply with the current safety designs proposed. Even with their knowledge of the dangers of partial ejection, they have allowed production of these defective models.

With Several hundred thousand SUV rollovers a year, it is unconscionable to consider what would inhibit any automobile manufacturer from utilizing these alternative designs when manufacturing automobiles. There is no excuse for this.

Our firm is experienced in handling and SUV rollover case. If you or someone you love has been involved in a partial ejection accident, call me today. Call me at 210-227-1888.Our San Antonio law firm handles SUV Rollover cases on a contingency fee basis. That means we will never charge you a fee unless we obtain a settlement or judgment in your favor.