A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle tips onto its side or roof, often resulting from striking another vehicle or being “tripped” by a curb or roadside object. These types of crashes expose occupants to extreme forces and have a high risk of partial or full ejection.
Texas drivers hurt in vehicle rollovers face high-stakes claims, as they often lead to severe or fatal injuries and complex questions about fault. Liability may involve another negligent driver, a defective vehicle or tire, or even unsafe road design.
If you’ve been injured in a rollover crash, this guide will explain how often and why these types of accidents happen, why they’re so dangerous, and how to hire a car accident lawyer to pursue compensation for your medical care and lost income.
Rollover Accident Statistics
Rollover accidents make up a relatively small percentage of all traffic crashes, but they account for a disproportionately large share of serious and fatal injuries.
National Rollover Crash Facts
According to IIHS passenger-vehicle rollover statistics, rollovers remain one of the leading causes of fatal injury despite advances in vehicle safety. In 2023, single-vehicle rollover crashes accounted for about 21% of all passenger-vehicle occupant deaths. Of the total rollover-related deaths, 38% occured in pickups and 34% occured in SUVs, both of which are more prone to rolling over due to their higher center of gravity.
Previous analyses by the NHTSA reinforce this trend, showing that SUVs have a rollover rate of 27%, while cars have a significantly lower rate of around 10%. These differences highlight how vehicle design plays a major role in rollover risk.
Texas Rollover Crash Statistics
Texas consistently reports a high number of rollover crashes and fatalities each year:
- According to TxDOT, there were 6,397 rollover accidents in 2024 where an overturned vehicle was the primary cause or the first harmful event of the crash—280 of which were fatal.
- National data from prior years shows that rollovers make up about 20% of all fatal car crashes, 38% of fatal truck crashes, and 39% of fatal SUV crashes. These figures are especially relevant in Texas, where these types of vehicles are popular.
- Additionally, the state’s geographic size and extensive rural road network mean that many rollover accidents occur far from immediate medical help, increasing Texas drivers’ risk of death or permanent injury.
Why Rollovers Are So Dangerous
According to the NHTSA, ejection dramatically increases the likelihood of fatal injuries. Federal safety data shows that more than half of serious injuries in single-vehicle rollover crashes involve unbelted occupants, and nearly half of those injured are partially or fully ejected from the vehicle.
Texas safety campaigns, such as the TxDOT Click It or Ticket campaign, emphasize that wearing a seatbelt remains one of the most effective ways to prevent fatal injuries in rollover accidents. Additionally, modern safety features, such as side-curtain airbags, significantly reduce the risk of death in rollover crashes.
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Common Causes of Rollover Accidents in Texas
Most vehicle rollovers result from a combination of vehicle design, driver behavior, and roadway or environmental conditions. Understanding how these factors interact is key to determining liability after a serious rollover crash.
Tripped vs. Untripped Rollovers
Most rollover accidents are considered “tripped” rollovers. This means the vehicle leaves the roadway and strikes an object, causing it to tip or flip. Once the vehicle’s tires dig into soft soil or strike a fixed object, momentum can cause the vehicle to roll violently.
Common tripping mechanisms include:
- Curbs
- Soft shoulders
- Ditches
- Guardrails
- Uneven pavement edges
Untripped rollovers are less common but still dangerous. These crashes usually involve vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as SUVs and pickups. High-speed cornering or sharp steering maneuvers can cause their tires to lose grip, tipping the vehicle over even though no other object was struck.
Driver Behaviors Linked to Rollover Crashes
Certain driver behaviors significantly increase the risk of rollover accidents, especially on Texas highways and rural roads where speeds are higher. These behaviors include:
- Speeding, particularly on curves or exit ramps
- Distracted driving, including phone use
- Impaired driving due to alcohol or drugs
- Aggressive steering or sudden swerving
- Overcorrecting after drifting onto a shoulder
- Failing to adjust to wet, loose, or uneven road surfaces
Side-impact or t-bone collisions and chain-reaction crashes are also common triggers for rollovers. In many cases, a driver swerves to avoid another vehicle and loses control, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll.
Vehicle Design and Equipment Issues
Vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as pickups, SUVs, and vans, are more likely to roll over than passenger cars. This risk can increase when vehicles are heavily loaded, towing trailers, or modified with lift kits or oversized tires.
Certain design or production issues may support a product-liability claim against a manufacturer or parts supplier when a defect contributes to injuries sustained from a rollover accident.
Possible defects include:
- Tire blowouts
- Suspension or steering defects
- Inadequate roof strength
- Side-curtain airbag failure
Injuries and Long-Term Effects After a Rollover Accident
Compared to other types of collisions, rollover accidents have a much higher rate of fatal and catastrophic injuries, according to the IIHS. Rollover crash survivors frequently face long recovery periods and permanent physical limitations.
Common Rollover Crash Injuries
Rollover accidents can cause a wide range of serious injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and herniated discs
- Crushed or fractured arms, legs, and ribs
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe lacerations and degloving injuries
Many rollover victims require emergency surgery, extended hospital stays, and months or years of rehabilitation. Some are never able to return to their prior level of work, independence, or daily activity—particularly when the brain or spinal cord is injured.
Psychological and Economic Impact
Survivors also experience significant psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. This is especially common when the crash involves ejection, multiple rollovers, or fatalities.
The financial consequences can be just as overwhelming. Long hospital stays, ongoing medical care, lost income, and permanent disabilities make rollover accident claims particularly complex and high-value.
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Who May Be Liable in a Rollover Accident Case?
Unlike simple rear-end collisions, rollover cases often involve multiple contributing causes, including driver negligence, vehicle defects, or dangerous roadway conditions. Identifying all liable parties is a critical step in serious rollover accident claims.
Negligent Drivers and Comparative Fault
Another driver may be liable for a rollover accident if their careless or reckless actions forced your vehicle into a dangerous maneuver or off the roadway. Common examples include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Tailgating
- Failure to yield
- Making unsafe lane changes
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means that, even if you were up to 50% responsible for the accident that caused your injuries, you can still recover damages. Once your assigned fault exceeds 50%, you are barred from recovery.
Professional legal guidance and careful investigation are essential to building strong rollover accident claims, as insurance companies often try to exaggerate a victim’s share of fault in these types of cases.
Vehicle Manufacturers and Product Defects
Automakers and parts manufacturers may be liable when defects contribute to a vehicle rollover or fail to protect occupants during the crash. Defects can include stability-control failures, tire defects, steering or suspension problems, weak roof structures, or malfunctioning airbags.
Federal safety investigations and recalls can substantiate these types of cases. Reports and studies from the NHTSA have been used in high-profile rollover lawsuits to show that manufacturers knew about stability or roof-crush risks but failed to address them. When proven, product-liability claims can significantly increase the compensation available to injured drivers and their families.
Roadway Defects and Government Liability
Poorly designed curves, missing or damaged guardrails, unsafe shoulders, inadequate signage, and uneven pavement can all cause a vehicle to leave the roadway and roll. In these situations, government agencies responsible for road design or maintenance may share liability.
Claims against government entities involve special notice requirements and shorter deadlines than standard personal injury cases, making early legal review especially valuable in these scenarios.
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Damages Available in Texas Rollover Accident Cases
Because rollover crashes often cause catastrophic injuries, settlements and verdicts frequently involve significant economic and non-economic damages. The purpose of compensation is to help injured victims and their families recover financially and account for the long-term impact of the crash.
Economic Losses
Economic damages are the measurable financial losses caused by a rollover accident. These commonly include:
- Emergency medical care and hospitalization
- Surgeries, rehabilitation, and physical therapy
- Future medical treatment and long-term care
- Mobility aids and home modifications
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement and other property damage
When a rollover accident causes permanent disabilities, such as spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries, experts may be needed to create life-care plans that estimate future medical needs and their costs over a lifetime.
Non-Economic and Punitive Damages
Non-economic damages compensate victims for losses that are harder to measure but no less real. These include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship, support, and guidance (in wrongful death cases)
Punitive damages are intended to punish wilful misconduct and deter similar behavior. Courts may award this type of damage when another driver was intoxicated, street racing, or when a company knowingly ignored serious safety defects or regulations that put the public at risk.
How a Rollover Accident Lawyer Helps Maximize Recovery
Rollover accident claims are often complex and aggressively defended by insurance companies. A skilled rollover accident lawyer can investigate every potential cause of the crash, identify all responsible parties, and work with accident reconstruction and engineering experts to build a strong case and maximize settlement values.
Legal counsel also pushes back against common insurer tactics, such as victim-blaming or downplaying the severity of injuries. Working with an experienced Texas car accident lawyer can help uncover product-liability or roadway-defect claims that might otherwise be overlooked, potentially increasing the total compensation available.
How AK Law Firm Supports Rollover Accident Victims
Rollover accidents require thorough investigation and thoughtful legal strategy. AK Law Firm focuses on uncovering why a rollover occurred and who should be held responsible, so injured Texas drivers are not left carrying the financial burden alone.
Investigation and Expertise
AK Law Firm investigates rollover accident cases by gathering crash reports, vehicle data, medical records, and expert analysis. This often includes obtaining black-box data, reviewing scene evidence, and consulting with reconstruction, biomechanical, and engineering experts. These specialists can evaluate vehicle stability, roof strength, restraint system performance, and occupant movement during rollover.
In complex cases, this level of analysis helps determine whether driver negligence, vehicle defects, or roadway conditions contributed to or worsened injuries.
Serving Texas Drivers Statewide
AK Law Firm represents rollover accident victims across the state, including in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. The firm handles negotiations with insurance companies and prepares cases for litigation when necessary, allowing clients to focus on recovery.
We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there are no upfront attorney’s fees. You only pay us if we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Call now to speak with AK Law Firm about your case before valuable evidence disappears and timelines expire. Our team is ready to help you maximize your compensation for a successful recovery.
FAQ: Rollover Accidents
What causes most rollover accidents?
Most rollover accidents happen when a vehicle leaves the roadway and is “tripped” by a curb, ditch, soft soil, or another object. Speeding, inattention, and overcorrecting steering are common contributing behaviors. Side-impact collisions, tire blowouts, and vehicles with a high center of gravity, such as pickups and SUVs, also significantly increase rollover risk.
How dangerous are rollover accidents compared to other crashes?
Rollover crashes represent a minority of all collisions, but they account for around one-fifth of passenger-vehicle occupant deaths and more than a quarter of deaths in pickups and SUVs. Many fatal injuries involve unbelted occupants who get partially or fully ejected, which is why seatbelt use is critical in preventing rollover deaths.
Who can I sue after a rollover crash in Texas?
Depending on the facts of your case, you may have claims against another negligent driver, a vehicle or tire manufacturer, a repair shop, a trucking company, or a government entity responsible for unsafe road conditions. A rollover accident attorney can investigate the crash and identify all potentially responsible parties and insurance coverage.
How long do I have to file a rollover accident lawsuit in Texas?
In many cases, Texas law gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Shorter deadlines may apply to claims involving government entities. Speak with a rollover accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect deadlines and preserve key evidence.
Do I need a rollover accident lawyer, or can I handle the case myself?
Because rollover crashes often involve severe damage, disputed causes, and potential product- or roadway-defect issues, injured victims benefit from working with a rollover accident attorney. Experienced lawyers can manage expert testimony, negotiate with insurers, and take cases to trial when necessary to pursue full compensation.
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