Is defect responsible for tragic Roseville rollover accident?
Because motor vehicles are such an everyday part of our lives, many of us don’t appreciate the sheer size, weight and power they possess. It isn’t until we are involved in an accident that we realize how dangerous motor vehicles can be. This is especially true when motor vehicles don’t work how we expect them to.
The family of a Roseville woman now understands the magnitude of this statement after their loved one was killed when her vehicle rolled over her as she retrieved something out of the back seat.
According to the Roseville police, the 54-year-old woman put her SUV in park one morning last month with the engine still running when she got out to retrieve her bicycle out of the back seat. The 1997 Ford Explorer then began to roll backwards and knocked the woman to the ground, pinning her under the vehicle’s extremely heavy weight.
The woman was taken to an area hospital where she died several days later as a result of her injuries.
The woman did not have any other passengers in the vehicle at the time and the ground where the incident occurred was flat, so authorities were having a difficult time trying to piece together exactly what caused the vehicle to spontaneously start moving.
A thorough investigation of the vehicle will need to take place to determine if a defect could be responsible for the SUV moving even though it was in park. If a defect is determined to be responsible, the woman’s family may be able to file a claim against the auto manufacturer for damages.
While we all appreciate the freedom and convenience our automobiles provide us with, we need to remember that these heavy and powerful machines can quickly turn deadly, especially when defects in a vehicle’s design or poor manufacturing are involved.
Source: KCRA, “Roseville woman dies after being run over by own SUV,” Sarah Heise, Aug. 28, 2014