Special Safety Issues involving 12 and 15-Passenger Vans
If you have been to summer camp, a religious retreat, an exotic vacation destination, a nursing home outing, the airport on a shuttle, or any similar excursion, you have probably ridden in a 12 or 15-passenger van. Despite the popularity of these vehicles for transporting a small group, the potential for serious rollover accidents constitutes a greater risk in this type of vehicle. The length, height, and width of these vehicles tend to exceed that of most cars and trucks. These differences mean that drivers must possess different skills to operate the vehicles safely. For example, the brakes must be applied more liberally, and side mirrors must be used when executing a lane change. If you or a family member have suffered injuries in a collision while riding in a passenger van, an experienced passenger van accident injury lawyer can outline your legal rights and options as well as suggest strategies for protecting those rights.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which promotes transportation safety through regulations and guidelines, has elected to address the safety threat posed by passenger vans with recommendations rather than mandatory requirements. The agency recommends that drivers of passenger vans possess a commercial driver’s license, but no legal requirement has been imposed. The agency also advises drivers to check tire air pressure before any excursion; limit cargo on roof storage racks; restrict the number of passengers below maximum occupancy, and require seatbelt use by passengers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which promotes transportation safety through regulations and guidelines, has elected to address the safety threat posed by passenger vans with recommendations rather than mandatory requirements.
These precautions designed to limit rollover accidents and vehicle ejections amount to only guidelines, so passenger van rollovers remain a significant threat to occupant safety. Several features of passenger vans combine to make them prone to rolling over, such as their seating configuration and high center of gravity. While only one in four single-car passenger collisions involves a rollover, vehicle rollovers constitute over half of all passenger van accidents.
The length and weight of the large vehicles also make them harder to handle for drivers inexperienced with 12 and 15-passenger vanes. Nonetheless, many organizations like church groups, daycare centers, nursing homes, and sports teams use regular staff members with no commercial license or prior experience operating passenger vans to transport their members. Organizations that use these vehicles also frequently fail to have them routinely serviced by professionals to ensure that they are mechanically safe.
If you are injured in a rollover passenger van accident, your legal claim can be complicated by multiple parties that include other injured passengers, the driver, the organization that sponsored the event, the vehicle manufacturer, the driver of another vehicle, and others. An experienced 12 and 15-passenger van accident lawyer can advise you about this issue and your legal right to compensation.
Fuentes & Berrio is here to help accident victims receive the financial compensation that they deserve for their claims. Call us 24/7 at 954-752-1110 for your free case review and consultation. Protect your rights today. Nosotros hablamos español.
Fuentes & Berrio
811 E. Hillsboro Blvd
Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
Phone: 1-954-752-1110
Hours: Open 24 hours