Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Recently a fatal accident in Tennessee called to light one of the most dangerous vehicle combinations on the roadways of America today - a trailer being towed by an SUV. The particular case I wish to call attention to involves 45-year old Wade P. Shindlebower who was pulling a camper behind his SUV driving southbound on Interstate 75 when the trailer began to sway out of control and then separated from the SUV causing the vehicle to flip. The SUV rolled over three times before coming to rest on the median. The passenger Keith Smith, 51, of Indianapolis, Indiana was transported to UT Medical Center where he passed away on Sunday. The passengers both sustained serious injuries. Drugs and alcohol were not a factor.

The summer of 2009 has been a banner summer for people unnecessarily dying due to defective trailers. The defective trailer when coupled with one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road (the SUV) is a deadly combination. For more information on dangerous trailers, please direct your attention to dangeroustrailers.org. The website is steadfastly maintained by consumer safety advocate Ron Melacon at his own expense. Ron Melacon is one of America’s unsung heroes.

Due to their high center of gravity, SUVs are highly unstable. When coupled with trailer sway, the instability factor is multiplied, many times resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities to the unsuspecting victims. There has been an increasing number of defective trailer and SUV rollover cases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as nationwide.

The Philadelphia defective trailer and car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have participated in cases involving catastrophic injuries and fatalities suffered by the occupants and drivers of these vehicles who were unaware of the risks. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving a loose trailer, defective trailer, SUV rollover or has sustained a catastrophic or serious injury as a result of a car accident, please feel free to contact one of the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.