Practice Areas

Case of Note

Sandra Sigourney v. Honda Motor Company, LTD., Isuzu Motors Limited et. al.

With SUV’s dominating American highways, a rise in rollover accidents has been seen. Often, the roof structures of these vehicle’s are incapable of withstanding the forces of these accidents and consumers can be injured. On April 28, 2002, Sandra Sigourney was involved in a rollover accident after her 1996 Honda Passport left the roadway.

As a result of the accident Mrs. Sigourney sustained a neck injury rendering her a quadriplegic. Suit was filed, and it was alleged that alternative design options existed to strengthen the roof and to otherwise protect consumers like Mrs. Sigourney from significant injury in rollover accidents.

The case settled for a confidential amount.

Roof Crush Defect Attorneys

The term “roof crush” is used to describe the unintended failure of a vehicle’s roof structures that occur when vehicles roll over.

When these structures fail they can cause the roof to intrude into the occupant compartment causing serious injuries, including significant head and spinal cord injuries.

Factors in roof crush incidents

Many factors go into the overall ability of a roof structure to withstand the foreseeable forces of a rollover accident. The types of materials utilized to construct the roof rails, roof header and supporting pillars or beams can play a critical roll.

If inadequate structural integrity exists due to poor design choices, occupants can be exposed to injury. Often, the simple addition of foam, extra reinforcements or better materials can make significant differences in the ability of the roof to perform.

Often, the simple addition of foam, extra reinforcements or better materials can make significant differences in the ability of the roof to perform.

Ultimately, it is the duty of automotive manufacturers to take the steps necessary to ensure that occupants are protected from roof crush and resultant rollover injuries. This includes not only performing those tests mandated by the federal government, but to conduct dynamic rollover testing and computer modeling that more closely approximate real world rollover conditions. Only through such testing and analysis can vehicles be made safer.

We can help

If roof crush is suspected of causing a serious head or spinal injury or wrongful death please contact us. We have extensive experience in litigating rollover accidents involving roof crush, and stand ready to bring our knowledge and expertise to bear for consumers injured by defective roof structures.