The legal team at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has handled hundreds of van accidents and vehicle rollover cases over the last 35 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has repeatedly stated in its written status alerts that these vans must have properly inflated tires before each trip. Vans are dangerous unless all tires are properly inflated, are correctly maintained and are not carrying too much weight.
To represent our client’s vehicle rollover injury claims we have put together a van litigation team which includes accident reconstruction experts, biomechanical engineers, trial lawyers, doctors, paralegals and nurses. We believe that injuries sustained in van accidents can be much more serious due to the high rollover potential, and inherent design defects found in some larger vans.
There are more than 500,000 15-passenger vans on United States roads. They are the transportation of choice for small church groups and small school groups. Unfortunately, this particular van size rolls over at an alarming rate due to certain design defects.
Vans, even 15-passenger models, undergo no additional government safety tests than that required of a normal passenger vehicle. The problem with the 15-passenger van, in particular, is that when they are completely loaded, there is a shift in the center of gravity rearward and upward, which increases the chance of a vehicle rollover. A shift in gravity will cause a loss of control by the driver when there is a quick steering change in direction. There is also an increased risk of passengers being ejected from a van in an accident due to a design defect or seatbelt unavailability for all passengers.
A 2009 NHTSA report found that fully loaded 15-passenger vans are 3 times more likely than a normal van to tip over when fully loaded.
Between 1994 and 2004, there were over 1500 fatal crashes involving vans, and 550 instances of van rollovers.
If you or your loved one was involved in a van crash, please contact one of our case intake specialists at 1-800-718-4658. We have 17 offices throughout California to serve you. Our law practice is entirely devoted to motor vehicle accidents and product liability. We regularly represent victims seriously injured or killed in an accident, or due to a dangerous product.Â
