Car Wrecks Involving Emergency Vehicles
Car Wrecks Involving an Ambulance:
The NHTSA reported that, each year, 33 people are killed in car accidents involving ambulances. In about 75 percent of these car wrecks, it was the driver or passenger of the other vehicle who was killed. The same report states that ambulances are involved in about 1,500 car wrecks a year that result in injuries. As with, car wrecks that do not involve an ambulance, the report indicated that many of the injuries to people inside of the ambulances were partially caused by the EMS members not wearing seat-belts. Failure to wear a seat-belt is proven to increase your risk of injury or death during a car wreck. Ambulance crashes can be complicated even more by the fact that there are often at least three parties involved: the ambulance company, the driver of the other vehicle, and the person being transported by the ambulance who may also be injured in the wreck.
Car Wrecks Involving a Fire Engine:
FEMA reviewed a sample of injuries related to emergency vehicles from 1996 to 2012. The findings indicate that the clear majority of injuries were caused by car wrecks with civilian vehicles. The second most common cause was when a fire engine rolls over (presumably from when a driver tries to turn the fire engine too quickly).
Car wrecks Involving Law Enforcement:
A study by the National Safety Council from 2006 indicated that there was an average of 27,235 car wrecks involving law enforcement during the period they reviewed. Police vehicles were involved in 3.4 times more car wrecks than fire engines or ambulances during the period. Police are in their vehicles patrolling far more often than other emergency responders do. This creates more opportunity for officers to be involved in a car wreck.
Why you should contact an attorney:
When you are involved in a car wreck, an experienced car accident/ personal injury lawyer can help you negotiate your claims with the insurance companies and medical providers. In some cases, you may need an attorney to help represent your injury claim in court. An attorney may be even more necessary when an emergency vehicle is involved if the vehicle is operated by government employees such as police officers or firefighters.
Government employees may be protected by governmental immunity, which could cause you to bring your claim to the state claims commission instead of a court. Fortunately for drivers involved in car wrecks with government employees, this immunity does not apply in every case. Consult with an experienced car wreck attorney to learn more about how you can recover for your vehicle damage and personal injuries.
Kirk Joyce is a general practice attorney in Northwest Arkansas with experience in personal injury law and criminal defense. If you would like to meet with him to discuss your case, please contact the Joyce Law Firm to schedule a consultation.
Joyce Law Firm was founded in 2002 by Kirk Joyce. Each of the attorneys at the Joyce Law Firm focus in specific areas of law, including, but not limited to: personal injury, immigration, criminal defense, family law, and business law. Contact the Joyce Law Firm today at 479-442-5577. More about Joyce Law Firm
