San Diego SUV Accident Lawyers

Let Our Firm Handle Your SUV Accident Case

Were you injured in a car accident while driving an SUV? Did the crash cause your vehicle to rollover? Are you suffering from lingering pain and other accident-related symptoms? Are you worried about the constant inflow of medical expenses at a time when you cannot yet return to work? Are you wondering whether the at-fault driver is responsible for your injuries?

If these are the questions running through your mind at night, you need an attorney who can answer your questions and address your concerns. You need a San Diego SUV accident lawyer who regularly handles serious accident cases. You need a law firm that will take the time to understand what you want and not tell you how to handle your case.

We are The Levinson Law Group

We are a reputable San Diego car accident law firm with significant experience representing injured clients in SUV rollover accidents.

Unlike many other law firms in the area, we specialize in—and only handle—car accident claims. Because of our niche practice area, we possess unparalleled knowledge and experience regarding all types of car accident cases.

To learn more about your options, give The Levinson Law Group a call. We offer free consultations and accept cases on a contingent fee. That means that if there is no recovery in your case, you pay no fee. And in most cases, we even advance the costs.

Car Accident & SUV Statistics

According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, of the more than 9.1 million car accidents in 2010, just 2.1 percent were rollover accidents. However, rollover accidents were responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal accidents—35 percent, to be exact.

• In total, 7,600 people died in rollover accidents in 2010.
• Sixty-nine percent of rollover accident fatalities involved motorists who were not wearing a seatbelt.
• Light trucks and SUVs are the most likely vehicle to rollover after a crash.
• Most rollover crashes occur at speeds of 55 miles per hour or more.
• While 16 percent of rollover crashes involving passenger cars result in a fatality, there is at least one death in more than 26 percent of rollover accidents involving SUVs.

In 2000, six percent of all SUVs involved in a car accident rolled over. However, passenger cars rolled over in only two percent of all accidents. Thus, an SUV is about three times as likely to rollover after an accident.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of fatal SUV accidents has increased by about 20 percent, from 4,130 in 2010 to 5,342 in 2019. Over this same period, the total number of fatal accidents involving passenger cars and pickup trucks decreased.

• As of 2019, SUV-related car accident deaths comprised 24 percent of all fatal traffic accidents.
• Aside from head-on collisions, rollover accidents are the most common type of fatal SUV accident.
• Slightly more than half of all fatal SUV accidents involve a multi-vehicle collision.
• Most fatal SUV accidents involve small- or mid-sized SUVs.
• Among all fatal rollover accidents involving an SUV, 41 percent involve a frontal collision.
• In 2019, 39 percent of all SUV passenger deaths occurred as the result of a rollover accident.

Causes of Fatal San Diego SUV Accidents

Driving an SUV immediately conveys a sense of safety. SUVs are much larger than cars and provide drivers with a better line of sight. They are also heavier than passenger cars and can do a better job protecting occupants in the event of a crash. However, SUVs also and have a much higher center of gravity. Thus, they are significantly more likely to rollover in an accident.

Multi-Vehicle SUV Collisions

According to a recent study, the most dangerous multi-vehicle collision types for SUVs are:

Head-on Collisions – 60%
Frontal impacts are responsible for 60 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Rear-end Accidents – 27%
Rear impacts (rear-end accidents) are responsible for 27 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Side Collisions – 10%
Broadside or T-bone accidents are responsible for 10 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Rollover Accidents – 3%
Rollover accidents are responsible for 3 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Single-Vehicle SUV Collisions

However, when looking only at single-vehicle collisions, the trend shifts:

Head-on Collisions – 52%
Frontal impacts are responsible for 52 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Rear-end Accidents – 10%
Rear impacts are responsible for 10 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Side Collisions – 1%
Broadside or T-bone accidents are responsible for 1 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Rollover Accidents – 37%
Rollover accidents are responsible for 37 percent of all SUV passenger fatalities.

Thus, rollover accidents make up a much more significant percentage of deaths in single-vehicle SUV crashes. However, this is not necessarily surprising because there are only a few ways a single-vehicle accident could involve a rear or side impact.

However, what is telling is that rollover accidents only make up 23 percent of the fatal passenger vehicle accidents. This does seem to indicate that SUVs are more prone to rolling over.

Are SUVs More Dangerous Than Cars or Pickup Trucks?

Given the increase in the rate of accidents involving SUVs, many considering an SUV for their next vehicle purchase wonder if SUVs are more dangerous than cars or light trucks. While the data shows a clear trend of increasing SUV accidents, that does not necessarily mean that SUVs are more dangerous. As more people drive SUVs, they make up a larger percentage of vehicle ownership. Because of that, SUV accidents will make up a greater percentage of all motor vehicle accidents.

Perhaps a more accurate way of assessing vehicle safety is by looking at the fatal accident rate. For example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted a comprehensive vehicle safety study. Among many other things, researchers looked at the number of fatal traffic accidents per one million miles traveled. The study revealed the following:

• Small cars – 56 deaths per million miles
• Midsize cars – 40 deaths per million miles
• Large cars – 54 deaths per million miles
• Small SUVs – 29 deaths per million miles
• Midsize SUVs – 20 deaths per million miles
• Large SUVs – 18 deaths per million miles

Thus, SUVs fared better than cars in all categories. The bottom line is that, while it is indisputable that SUVs are more prone to rolling over after an accident, it does not necessarily mean that they are more dangerous.

Who Is Liable in a San Diego SUV Accident?

The determination of who is at fault in an SUV accident can be challenging. If you were injured in an SUV accident involving another vehicle, the driver might be liable to you for your accident-related damages.

Who Is Liable in a San Diego SUV Accident?

It is a fact that many fatal SUV accidents involve single-vehicle collisions. However, it is a common misconception that a single-vehicle accident was the result of driver negligence. For example, a single-vehicle accident may be the result of any of the following:

• Another driver’s negligent actions that caused the driver of the SUV to swerve off the road or into a building or object
• An equipment malfunction
• A poorly designed vehicle.

Depending on the nature of the accident, it may be that the other driver or the manufacturer of a part or vehicle was to blame for the accident. If you were involved in a single-vehicle SUV accident, do not assume that you were to blame. It could be that your SUV suffered from some type of design defect that made it more likely to rollover. The dedicated San Diego SUV accident lawyers at The Levinson Law Group have been handling SUV accidents for decades and can help you determine if you have a case against another motorist or vehicle manufacturer.

What If an SUV Driver Contributed to the Accident?

Some San Diego SUV accidents involve a situation where the SUV driver could have done something differently to avoid the collision. However, this does not mean that the driver alone was solely responsible for the accident and cannot recover from other negligent parties.

California law allows injured motorists who were partially at fault for causing an accident to bring a claim against other parties who contributed to the accident. Under California’s pure comparative negligence statute, an accident victim is not be prevented from recovering from other at-fault parties, regardless of their percentage of fault. However, if the accident victim is partially at fault, the total damages award will be reduced by their percentage of fault. This comes into play in two critical situations first, where the driver of the SUV was involved in a multi-vehicle accident that they played a role in causing; and second, a situation where an accident victim’s injuries were made worse by the defective design of the vehicle.

At The Levinson Law Group, our San Diego SUV accident lawyers understand the complex legal doctrines that allow our clients to recover from negligent motorists and vehicle manufacturers. We consult with a team of respected experts who can help explain to the judge or jury why an accident should not have resulted in serious injury or death had the manufacturer taken the necessary precautions when designing the vehicle.

Contact The Levinson Law Group to Schedule a Free Consultation With a San Diego SUV Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one was recently injured in an SUV accident, the San Diego SUV accident attorneys at The Levinson Law Group are here to answer your questions and advise you of your options. SUV accidents are much more complex than other motor vehicle collisions and require a knowledgeable attorney who understands what makes these accidents different. At The Levinson Law Group, we only handle motor vehicle accident cases, which allows us to devote countless hours reviewing the most recent scientific literature and government safety regulations. As a result, we possess an in-depth understanding of what goes into a successful claim and put knowledge into each of our clients’ cases.

When you decide to work with The Levinson Law Group, you can rest assured that you will have someone in your corner throughout the entire process. We begin by explaining the recovery process in understandable terms and make ourselves available to answer your questions whenever they come up. We have outstanding reviews all across the Internet, from AVVO to Google My Business, to Yelp, and we encourage you to check them out. To learn more about your options, give The Levinson Law Group a call at 760-512-8088. We accept cases on a contingent fee. That means that if there is no recovery in your case, you pay no fee. And in most cases, we even advance the costs.