Driver was Severely Burned
A Houston-area man is suffering from burns over 20 percent of his body and is listed in stable condition after he crashed and was ejected from the SUV he was driving. According to the police report, the driver, whose name has not been released, was traveling northbound on Hiram Clarke Road near Allum Road at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday when he lost control of his vehicle, hitting an evergreen tree in the median. The impact caused the SUV to flip and landed upright. The driver was ejected from the SUV when it rolled and somehow during the accident was burned. The driver was sent to an area hospital and is listed in stable condition. Investigators have not yet determined what might have caused the accident. It does not matter how careful you are, accidents can happen at any time. Accidents involving SUV rollovers can be very dangerous. Rollovers in these vehicles are common. There could be any number of reasons why a vehicle might roll over. In SUVs, it’s normally because the center of gravity is very high. This causes the vehicle to be unstable in the case of a driving over correction. Defective tires can also cause a vehicle to crash or roll over. Weak latches on doors and hatches can spring open during a crash, causing ejection of the driver or passengers. It’s probably likely that this person wasn’t wearing a seatbelt since they were ejected from the vehicle too. Approximately one third of all rollover accidents reported in the U.S. involve head injuries. Precautions to limit the severity of an SUV accident and lessening the likelihood of a head or other injury or even death are all something that anyone can undertake very easily. These include:
- Wearing a Seatbelt – Seatbelt use is the law in the state of Texas (Sec. 545.413 of the Transportation Code). Unrestrained occupants of SUV’s can be thrown from the vehicle they are riding in or driving. Ejection from a vehicle can often result in permanent injuries or even death.
- Roof strength – Vehicles with a strong roof or an interior rollover bar apparatus both reduce the potential risk of injury to passengers. This is especially true in the case of rollover accidents.
- Headroom – Choosing a vehicle that has a reduced amount of headroom increases the risk of sustaining a serious head injury in the case of a rollover accident.
The resources needed for victims to recover from SUV rollover accidents can be high. There are medical expenses, the potential of long-term care or permanent injury, loss of income or even death. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving an SUV rollover, give our offices a call with the details of your case. Our legal professionals and investigators can help you determine what the next steps should be in proceeding with your case. We will take the time to sit down with you and discuss all the options. We will do our best to get you the compensation that you are entitled to. We are here to help.