Why SUVs Are Vulnerable to Rollover

SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks account for a disproportionate share of rollover fatalities in the United States. According to NHTSA, rollovers account for only about 3% of all crashes but nearly 30% of all vehicle occupant fatalities. Several design characteristics make SUVs particularly susceptible:

High Center of Gravity

SUVs sit higher off the ground than sedans, raising their center of gravity. This makes them inherently less stable during emergency maneuvers, particularly swerving to avoid obstacles or correcting after a tire blowout. A higher center of gravity means less lateral force is needed to initiate a rollover.

Narrow Track Width Relative to Height

The Static Stability Factor (SSF) — calculated as half the vehicle’s track width divided by its center of gravity height — is the single best predictor of rollover risk. NHTSA assigns rollover resistance ratings based on SSF. Many popular SUVs score poorly on this metric, meaning they are inherently prone to tipping over when lateral forces are applied.

Electronic Stability Control Limitations

While Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems — required in all vehicles since the 2012 model year — significantly reduce rollover risk, they have limitations. ESC works by selectively applying brakes to individual wheels. When a tire blows out, the resulting sudden change in vehicle dynamics can overwhelm the ESC system’s ability to maintain stability, particularly at highway speeds.

Tire-Vehicle Interaction

SUV manufacturers select tires that balance ride comfort, noise, fuel economy, and safety. Sometimes, cost considerations lead manufacturers to specify tires that are marginally adequate for the vehicle’s weight and operating conditions. When a tire that is already operating near its limits fails suddenly, the consequences are magnified by the SUV’s inherent instability.

How Tire Defects Cause SUV Rollovers

The mechanism by which a tire defect leads to an SUV rollover follows a predictable sequence:

1. Tire failure occurs — A tread separation, blowout, or bead failure causes sudden loss of tire integrity, typically at highway speed.
2. Asymmetric drag develops — The failed tire creates enormous drag on one side of the vehicle, pulling it sharply in that direction.
3. Driver overcorrects — The natural response is to steer away from the pull, which can initiate a yaw (rotation) that the ESC system may not be able to control.
4. Tire rim digs into pavement — If the tire completely deflates or the tread detaches, the exposed rim contacts the road surface, creating a “trip” mechanism.
5. Rollover initiates — The vehicle’s momentum, combined with the tripping force and the high center of gravity, causes the SUV to roll — often multiple times.

Tread Separation: The Most Dangerous Defect

Tread separation is particularly dangerous in SUVs because the detaching tread often wraps around the wheel well or strikes the vehicle’s undercarriage, creating additional forces that destabilize the vehicle. The Ford Explorer/Firestone catastrophe demonstrated this phenomenon on a massive scale — most of the fatalities involved SUV rollovers triggered by tread separation.

Sidewall Blowout

A sidewall blowout causes immediate and complete loss of air pressure. In an SUV, the sudden drop in ride height on one side, combined with the drag of the deflated tire, creates a powerful rolling moment. Front-tire blowouts are especially dangerous because they also compromise steering control.

Dual Liability: Tire Manufacturer and Vehicle Manufacturer

SUV rollover-tire defect cases often involve claims against both the tire manufacturer and the vehicle manufacturer. Each may be liable on distinct grounds:

Tire Manufacturer Liability

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11, the tire manufacturer is liable for producing a defective tire that initiated the rollover. This includes manufacturing defects, design defects, and failure to warn. The tire manufacturer cannot escape liability by arguing that the SUV’s design contributed to the severity of the crash — under Georgia law, each defendant is responsible for the harm its defect caused.

Vehicle Manufacturer Liability

The SUV manufacturer may be liable on several grounds:

• Rollover-prone design — If the SUV has an unreasonably high center of gravity or narrow track width, making it foreseeable that a tire failure would lead to rollover
• Inadequate ESC calibration — If the electronic stability control system was not properly calibrated to handle tire failure scenarios
• Tire selection — If the manufacturer specified tires that were marginally adequate for the vehicle’s weight and performance characteristics
• Roof crush (crashworthiness) — If the roof structure collapsed during the rollover, causing or worsening occupant injuries
• Seat belt and restraint failures — If the seat belt system failed to restrain occupants during the rollover, leading to ejection

Joint and Several Liability in Georgia

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, Georgia apportions fault among all responsible parties. If a jury determines that the tire manufacturer is 60% at fault and the vehicle manufacturer is 40% at fault, each pays its proportionate share of the damages. However, a defendant found to be less than 50% at fault is only liable for its percentage of non-economic damages.

Roof Crush and Occupant Protection Failures

In many SUV rollover cases, the most devastating injuries are not caused by the rollover itself but by the vehicle’s failure to protect occupants during the rollover. This is known as crashworthiness or enhanced injury doctrine.

Roof Crush

When an SUV rolls over, the roof structure bears the full weight of the vehicle. If the roof pillars and headers are not strong enough to resist crush, the roof collapses into the passenger compartment, reducing survival space. This can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death by crush injury.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 216 sets minimum roof strength requirements, but critics argue the standard is inadequate. Many SUV manufacturers design roofs that barely meet the minimum standard rather than engineering roofs that provide meaningful protection in real-world rollovers.

Occupant Ejection

Ejection during a rollover is the leading cause of fatality. Occupants can be ejected through side windows that shatter, through the windshield, or through doors that open during the roll. Ejected occupants are eight times more likely to be killed than those who remain inside the vehicle.

Vehicle manufacturers may be liable for ejection injuries if:

• The door latch system failed, allowing doors to open during the rollover
• The side glazing (tempered glass) shattered on impact rather than remaining intact
• Side curtain airbags failed to deploy or were inadequate to prevent ejection
• The seat belt system allowed excessive slack, permitting the occupant to move out of the seat belt’s protection zone

Georgia Product Liability Law in Rollover Cases

Georgia provides a robust legal framework for SUV rollover-tire defect cases:

Strict Liability — O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11

Both the tire manufacturer and vehicle manufacturer are strictly liable for defects in their products. The plaintiff must prove the product was defective, the defect existed when it left the manufacturer, and the defect proximately caused the injuries.

Crashworthiness Doctrine

Georgia recognizes the crashworthiness doctrine, which holds vehicle manufacturers liable for injuries that are enhanced or caused by the vehicle’s failure to protect occupants in a crash — even if the manufacturer did not cause the initial collision. The classic formulation is: the manufacturer is not liable for the collision, but it is liable for the additional injuries caused by the vehicle’s defective design during the collision.

Punitive Damages — O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1

Given the well-documented history of rollover dangers and tire defects, punitive damages are frequently pursued in these cases. Evidence that a manufacturer knew its vehicle was rollover-prone or its tire was defect-prone — and failed to act — can support a punitive damages award.

Comparative Fault — O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33

The defense will attempt to assign fault to the driver (speeding, failure to maintain tires, improper evasive action). Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover as long as your fault is less than 50%.

Common Injuries in SUV Rollover Accidents

SUV rollovers produce some of the most severe injuries seen in motor vehicle accidents:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) — Caused by head contact with the collapsing roof, pillars, or ground during ejection. TBIs range from concussions to severe, permanent brain damage.
• Spinal cord injuries — Cervical spine fractures and dislocations from roof crush are a leading cause of quadriplegia and paraplegia in rollover crashes.
• Ejection injuries — Partial or complete ejection results in contact with the ground, other vehicles, or the rolling vehicle itself, causing multiple trauma, amputations, and death.
• Crush injuries — When the roof collapses or the vehicle comes to rest on the occupant, crush injuries to the chest, pelvis, and extremities can be devastating.
• Internal organ damage — The violent forces of a rollover can cause liver lacerations, splenic rupture, aortic tears, and other life-threatening internal injuries.
• Burn injuries — Fuel system integrity can be compromised during a rollover, leading to fuel leaks and post-crash fires.
• Multiple fractures — Arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, and facial bones are commonly fractured in rollovers.

Survivors of SUV rollovers often face months or years of recovery, multiple surgeries, permanent disability, and lifelong medical expenses. The emotional and psychological toll — PTSD, anxiety, depression — can be equally devastating.

Investigating an SUV Rollover-Tire Defect Case

These cases require a multidisciplinary investigation:

Tire Analysis

A tire failure analyst examines the tire to determine whether a manufacturing defect, design defect, or external cause (road hazard, underinflation) initiated the failure. The analysis includes cross-sectional examination, adhesion testing, and rubber compound analysis.

Vehicle Inspection

Engineers inspect the vehicle for roof crush, seat belt performance, door latch integrity, airbag deployment, and ESC system function. The vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR) captures critical pre-crash data including speed, brake application, steering angle, and stability control activation.

Scene Investigation

Accident reconstructionists examine the scene for tire marks, gouge marks, debris patterns, and rest positions to determine the vehicle’s trajectory, number of rolls, and the sequence of events.

Regulatory and Recall Research

Attorneys investigate whether the tire or vehicle has been subject to recalls, Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs), or NHTSA investigations. NHTSA’s complaint database is searched for similar incidents involving the same tire model and vehicle.

Corporate Discovery

Through litigation discovery, attorneys obtain the manufacturers’ internal documents: engineering test data, prototype testing videos, internal memos discussing rollover or tire failure risks, cost-benefit analyses, and communications with NHTSA.

Damages and Compensation

Given the severity of injuries in SUV rollover accidents, damages can be substantial:

Economic Damages

• Past and future medical expenses (often exceeding $1 million for spinal cord or brain injuries)
• Past and future lost earnings
• Home and vehicle modifications for disabled survivors
• In-home care and attendant services
• Vocational rehabilitation

Non-Economic Damages

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement and permanent disability
• Loss of consortium

Punitive Damages

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1, punitive damages may be awarded when the manufacturer’s conduct was egregious. In rollover cases, evidence of corporate knowledge of rollover propensity or tire defect patterns, combined with a decision to continue selling the product, can support substantial punitive damage awards.

Wrongful Death

Georgia’s wrongful death statute (O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1) provides recovery for the “full value of the life of the decedent” when a rollover-tire defect causes a fatality. Given that many rollover victims are in the prime of their lives, wrongful death values can be very significant.

At-Risk Vehicle Models

While any SUV, crossover, or truck can roll over, certain vehicle characteristics increase the risk. Vehicles with the following attributes merit special attention:

• Body-on-frame construction (higher center of gravity than unibody designs)
• High ride height without corresponding track width
• Older models (pre-2012) without ESC
• Vehicles specified with tires that have known defect histories
• Vehicles with NHTSA rollover resistance ratings of 3 stars or fewer

If you drive an SUV, check your vehicle’s rollover resistance rating at nhtsa.gov and verify that your tires have not been recalled.

What to Do After an SUV Rollover

1. Get medical attention immediately — Even if you can walk away from a rollover, internal injuries may not be immediately apparent.
2. Preserve all evidence — The tire (and fragments), the vehicle, photographs of the scene, the police report, and all medical records.
3. Do not authorize vehicle destruction — Insurance companies may want to total and scrap the vehicle quickly. The vehicle itself is critical evidence of roof crush, seat belt performance, and airbag deployment.
4. Contact an attorney before giving statements — Tire manufacturers and their insurers will investigate immediately. Having legal representation ensures your rights are protected from the start.
5. Document your injuries and treatment — Keep a detailed record of all medical visits, symptoms, and how your injuries affect your daily life.

Frequently Asked Questions About SUV Rollover-Tire Defect Cases