What is the danger with Roof Crush?

The roof is an important structural component of a vehicle and is critical in keeping the occupant safe in the event of a crash. To protect occupants in a rollover, maintaining survival space is very important. Survival space is the area around an occupant that remains free of intrusion in an accident. It is the area in which an occupant is able to “survive” the crash. The roof is part of the structural support of a vehicle and is therefore a critical component in keeping the occupant safe.

If a roof crushes substantially during an accident, from a failure of the side rails, headers or support pillars, catastrophic injuries can occur. Often, this decreased survival space results in the occupant’s head impacting some portion of the vehicle causing death, paralysis or brain damage. Sometimes, the occupant can even be partially ejected through an opening created during roof crush.

In 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 216 (FMVSS 216), requiring vehicles up to 6,000 pounds to withstand an applied force equal to 3 times the vehicle’s weight in roof crush tests. This is double the previous requirement that vehicle roofs withstand 1.5 times the vehicle’s weight. Additionally, the new standards require heavier vehicles weighing between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds to withstand 1.5 times their own weight and on both driver and passenger sides. Previously, vehicles falling into this category were never regulated.

What can I do?

If you feel you have a claim, our attorneys would like to talk to you. You may be entitled to compensation. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.