Van accidents are potentially high-risk accidents that cause injury and even death every year. 15-passenger van accidents are growing in frequency, and these vans often lack the proper seatbelts and safety measures sufficient to protect their passengers. Van accidents potentially cause serious injury.

Passenger Van Accident Statistics.
From 1997 to 2006, over 1,000 people were killed in passenger van accidents. In recent years, some high-profile passenger van injuries have increased awareness of passenger van safety concerns, but the instances of 15-passenger van accidents has not decreased.

In the past several years, 7 high-profile passenger van accidents have netted news time. In these 7 accidents alone, 23 passengers have died, and dozens have suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe. This is just the result of 7 accidents. With the countless more van accidents every year, passenger van injuries are on the rise.

The summer months are particularly high-risk periods for passenger van accidents. The NHTSA reports that 31% of fatal 15-passenger van accidents happen during the summer months, as these months are busier and involve more travel. Further, the more people and items there are in a passenger van, the more likely a rollover is to occur. Fully 50% of passenger van rollovers involved vehicles loaded to full capacity with passengers and cargo.

Van Rollover Lawsuits
Passenger vans are dangerous for a variety of reasons, but one characteristic that passenger van accidents tend to share in common is the propensity for rolling over. Passenger van rollover lawsuits are becoming more and more common, as 80% of passenger van accidents involving a fatality are cases where the van rolls over.

In fact, some models of Ford Motor Company passenger vans are currently under review as poorly designed vehicles, due to the likelihood of a van rolling in an emergency situation and not being able to safely protect occupants while rolling. Van rollover lawsuits are a very specific subset of passenger van accidents, but these lawsuits are a growing niche due to the high instance of rollovers during a van accident.

Federal Law Restricts Passenger Van Use
Because 15-passenger vans are so potentially dangerous, federal law prohibits passenger van use by schools in transporting children in grades K-12. However, passenger vans are used all the time in extra curricular activities, 4-H, YMCAs, senior and youth centers, daycare centers and even as airport shuttles. Frequent use of these vans presents potentially serious hazards for passengers; especially given that the vans are so dangerous that federal law restricts schools from transporting children in them.

Get an Experienced Advocate on Your Side
If you or a loved one has been injured in a passenger van accident, give the Anderson Law Firm a call and get an experienced advocate on your side. We understand the dangers posed by passenger van transport, and have the experience and the resources necessary to get to the bottom of your passenger van accident and pursue the responsible parties. Don't lose out on a potential recovery because you're unfamiliar with passenger van lawsuits. Call us for a free case evaluation, and let us help you bring your passenger van accident case to a successful conclusion. We can be contacted in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or toll free at 877-294-1115. You can also CONTACT US ONLINE.