Van Accident Wrongful Death Lawyers in Jacksonville

The 15-passenger van has been called the most dangerous vehicle on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that the summer months are the most dangerous when 15-passenger van rollovers increase 31%.

The vans are so dangerous that in Florida they are not allowed to be used to transport students in public school, however the same restriction doesn’t apply to private schools or church or sporting outings. Many of the wrongful death van accident crashes involved people on a church outing or children involved in a sport.

Because of engineering defects, rollovers occur more often in a 15-passenger van. With a high center of gravity, they are top heavy and this is especially true when the van is loaded with 10 or more occupants. When weight is in the rear, blowouts are common that can result in a rollover. If an inexperienced driver is behind the wheel or the tires are improperly inflated, this adds to the instability of a van. When a van rolls, the roof is notoriously weak. These vehicles are not crashworthy and sometimes the secondary collision inside the vehicle, where the person collides with the roof, the sides, or the windshield and seats, can cause the most traumatic injuries including head injuries.

Unlike buses, the passenger vans do not use laminated glass windows and compartmentalized seating. And buses have reinforced sides to keep the roof from collapsing in the event of a rollover.

NHTSA reports that half of occupant fatalities occurred when the vans were fully loaded. Because the outings may be less formal such as transport from an airport to hotel, often the van occupant is not wearing a seat belt. NHTSA found 59% of people killed in vans were not wearing a seat belt. National statistics found more than 1,000 people died in crashes involving 15-passenger vans from 1997 to 2006. And 80% of van accidents resulted in a fatality when the van rolled.

Besides 15 passenger vans there are 12, and 10 passenger and cargo vans.

A wrongful death occurs when another person is negligent or acts in a reckless manner. The death is largely preventable and the at-fault party should be held accountable for the cost of the death including but not limited to medical bills, the cost of a burial, the present and future income lost as well as future financial support and a parent’s guidance and inheritance. Pain and suffering can be part of the claim if the decedent suffered prior to their death.

There is a statute of limitations within which to bring a wrongful death claim. That is why it is important to work with an experienced Jacksonville traffic accident wrongful death law firm that will prepare you case for trial. The other at-fault side knows we are serious and will work diligently to seek the compensation you deserve.