Ambulance accident lawyer
When emergency vehicles including police cars and fire engines respond to a call, they often travel at a high rate of speed with their lights and sirens blazing. However, traveling fast tends to increase the potential risk of being involved in an accident with other vehicles and objects on the roadway. The rush to arrive at the scene of the incident often hurts and kills many Americans every year.
Rescue Squad Accident Lawyer
Statistics maintained by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) indicate that there are more than 3000 accidents involving fire engines, police cars and rescue squads every year. In many situations, the fire truck driver or police officer failed to maintain the delicate balance between keeping the public safe and speeding to the scene. Typical causes of the majority of accident liability cases involving rescue squads, police and fire departments include:
• Traveling at a speed higher than the posted speed limit.
• Failing to make adjustments for current weather conditions.
• Poor roadway conditions.
• Driver inexperience or fatigue.
• Rescue and police equipment with a design or manufacturing defects.
• Failing to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle.
• Driver distraction when emergency vehicles are approaching.
By law, every motorist on the roadway in Rhode island and Providence Plantations must pull over, slow down or stop their vehicle and provide ample space to allow the emergency vehicle to pass before returning to driving. Adhering to these laws maximizes the safety of everyone on the road. The high speed and weight of a fast-moving fire engine, rescue squad vehicle or police car can produce catastrophic results in the event of a high speed collision.
Sufficient Grounds for Financial Compensation
If the reckless behavior of a driver behind the wheel of the fire engine, police car or rescue squad vehicle caused your accident with injuries and damages, you likely have sufficient grounds to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. However, seeking financial recovery from a government agency can be challenging and often requires the skills of a competent personal injury lawyer. Your lawyer can seek to recover compensatory damages on your behalf to cover your financial losses caused by another’s negligence. Compensatory damages in a police car, fire truck or rescue squad accident case often includes substantial recompense to cover various expenses including:
• Medical bills including the cost of hospitalization, ongoing surgeries and treatments, rehabilitation, physical therapy and any expected medical expenses in the future.
• Lost wages directly associated with time away from work including the inability to hold down a job in the future due to physical, emotional or mental limitations.
• Loss of enjoyment of daily living including your ability to participate in recreation, activities, exercise and hobbies.
• Non-economic damages including the emotional and physical pain, suffering, anxiety and distress associated with your injuries and losses.
• Wrongful death that provides compensation for surviving family members or the estate of an individual killed by a negligent emergency vehicle driver.
Filing a Claim or Lawsuit in Providence Superior Court
If you, or a loved one, have suffered serious injuries caused by the negligence of an emergency vehicle driver, you might be required to file an administrative claim with the federal, state, county or city government entity involved in your accident. However, there is typically a short statute of limitations to file for compensation and missing the deadline can permanently take away your right to financially recover from your losses, injuries and damages.
Your skilled ambulance accident attorney will need to have sufficient expertise in handling the technical procedures and complicated paperwork of settling or trying the case against the government. In addition, the Fire engine accident lawyer will build the case to prove what factors caused the accident that might include equipment failure, running a red light or an attempt to avoid debris or pedestrians in the roadway. These types of cases are handled on contingency. This means that your Rhode Island recue squad accident lawyer will provide legal representation without the need of you paying any upfront fees for their services.