Serving victims of van accidents and van rollovers:
If you or someone you love has been injured in an auto accident involving a conversion van or a 15-passenger van, you will need very specialized legal representation.
Large Passenger Van Accidents / Conversion Vans
With an estimated 1.4 million 15-passenger vans registered in the United States that are used primarily by churches, colleges and carpools, it would stand to reason that these vehicles would tout a high level of safety. However, more than 1,200 fatal accidents have occurred since 1990 in these types of vans, with more than 420 of the deaths coming from accidents where the van was the only vehicle involved.
Accidents generally happen with van-type vehicles because they are susceptible to over-steering when a driver makes a quick maneuver, and that risk increases significantly with the number of passengers in the vehicle. The vans carrying 10 or more passengers have a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes that is almost three times the rate of vehicles that are not fully loaded. Added weight and additional passengers change the center of gravity of the vehicle, increasing the driver's chances of losing control while braking or making a quick steering maneuver. Once a van rolls over, it is not a crashworthy vehicle, and occupants are sometimes killed in what should have been an easily survivable crash.
Conversion vans also have a high risk of rollover thanks to their design, but the true danger of these vehicles comes from the modifications made by the van conversion company. Additions to the vehicles can include captain's chairs, paneling, raised roofs, sofa chairs and more.
Safety and quality control are frequently lost during the conversion process, and the auto makers don't uphold conversion companies to safety and design standards. The specialized seats cannot withstand the impact of an accident or rollover, and the seatbelts may also fail. Conversions also change the roof structure, replacing it with a raised top made of fiberglass. The new roof can come loose or shatter during an accident, leaving a gaping hole through which passengers can be ejected. Additionally, the vans feature large "picture" windows that shatter during an accident, creating another space through which passengers can be ejected.
The van accident attorneys at Bodiford Law Group are very experienced in handling litigation of van accident cases. Our primary focus is in helping those injured due to defective and dangerous automobiles. We have the experience, knowledge and capabilities to reconstruct the accident, identify the cause of the accident and the injuries. We are experienced at working with the auto manufacturers and have built a reputation with them and their attorneys.
Our lawyers have spent more than 25 years helping more than one thousand auto accident clients, and have achieved many multi-million-dollar recoveries. We are committed to helping families obtain full compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other expenses arising from auto accident, SUV and van crash injuries.
Regardless of your type of injury (or the injuries sustained by your loved one), the knowledgeable attorneys at Bodiford Law Group can support your efforts to prove responsibility and enforce accountability. Our personal injury lawyers are seasoned and knowledgeable, and ready to take your case to trial if it becomes necessary. They won't settle for anything less than what you deserve. You can view a sample of our successful cases here on this site. We look forward to speaking with you. |
