When an emergency arises, an ambulance’s top priority is to ensure that it arrives at the accident scene in time with its lights and emergency sirens flashing. In fact, ambulance carriers must drive their patient safely to the nearest Urgent Care or hospital ER Center from the crash site.

Sometimes the EMS is negligent in securing the patient into the gurney. If there is sudden acceleration, this can eject strapped-down trauma through the side or rear ambulance doors and into traffic. Ehline Law Firm is one of the premier personal injury firms serving clients throughout California.

Our experienced car accident lawyers have a well-earned reputation for being stalwart and dedicated legal representatives of people injured in various truck accidents. Our mission is to hold at-fault drivers accountable for Southern California car accidents.

What We Do After Forming An Attorney-Client Relationship?

Our premier lawyers help keep the highways and surface streets and highways safe for everybody. We do so by holding negligent drivers accountable to pay just compensation for injuries suffered by other drivers and third parties.

You likely never expect to be involved in a fire truck accident with an emergency medical services vehicle or an ambulance. But such cases happen with great frequency in the local Los Angeles community. They can be deadly because of the sometimes negligent driving speed these vehicles often travel.

Internal organ damage or death are possible outcomes of a negligent ambulatory company crash. If you were involved in a California ambulance EMS vehicle crash, you might be wondering what your legal options are for a hurt or deceased victim and their family.

Here is everything someone who wants to obtain recovery needs to know. We offer free consultations at the end if you need to speak with one of our injury attorneys to recover compensation.

The Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, 29 deadly ambulance crashes result in 33 deaths annually.

Every year, 600 individuals are wounded in ambulance accidents, which result in 1,500 deaths. In an ambulance collision, 63% of those who died were in a passenger car, 21% were the occupants in an ambulance, 4% were ambulance drivers, and 12% were non-occupants.

You May Be Entitled to Compensation

If you have been involved in a Los Angeles accident involving an emergency response vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation if the car driver was driving negligently.

Contact an experienced personal injury attorney from Ehline Law Firm for sound legal advice and a free case evaluation. At Ehline Law Firm, we pride ourselves on maintaining a respectful attorney-client relationship with every client that walks through the door, so you can trust our team to provide the legal assistance you need.

Why Los Angeles Accidents Involving Emergency Medical Services Occur

When an accident occurs or someone has a heart attack in their home, the first responders can often prevent the unthinkable from happening.

This is because providing medical treatment as soon as possible can prevent catastrophic injuries.

Here is a summary of some of the reasons why these motor vehicle accidents occur:

• Bad weather conditions lead to poor visibility, changing lanes, and slower response time
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Carrying loads that have not been secured
• Defective mechanical components
• Ignoring road signs and signals
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Insufficient training
• Brake problems
• Speeding.

You may have noticed that many of these factors do not deal directly with ambulance drivers. The truth is that many additional factors can cause these accidents. Some car accidents can occur due to the negligence of the other driver.

Who Is Liable in Los Angeles Fire Truck and Ambulance Accident Cases?

Emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances can operate differently from conventional passenger vehicles.

They are given the privilege of driving past stoplights, stop signs, and congested junctions. This is to provide immediate medical attention and respond to emergencies.

Emergency Vehicle Collisions Are Often High Impact

Because of the fast speeds and the fact that ambulances and fire trucks are often large vehicles, collisions usually result in severe injuries compared to standard car accident cases.

Ambulance and fire truck operators can be held liable if they are driving recklessly or negligently.

They can also be held liable if poor maintenance of the service vehicle was the cause of the crash, if they failed to follow safety regulations, or if a defective component of the vehicle caused the accident.

Duty of Care

Proving liability in these cases can be complicated, depending on how the crash occurred. The first thing to evaluate is whether the crash was caused by the ambulance carrier’s negligence, in which case you may be entitled to file a claim against them for the damages you incurred. Even though emergency service vehicles are permitted to travel in ways the rest of us cannot because of the nature of their services, they still owe motorists a duty of care.

This means that through their agent, the ambulance business is vicariously responsible for ensuring that their actions do not cause harm to another motorist. They should warn oncoming traffic if they intend to drive through stop signs or red lights.

It is easy to prove duty of care in a car accident case because all motorists, regardless of what vehicle they drive, are responsible for keeping other motorists and passengers safe while on the road.

Breach of Duty

Next, you must prove that the ambulance carrier or the driver breached this duty of care through reckless driving or by failing to maintain the vehicle properly. However, if another person or entity is to blame for the injury or accident, this negligent party must be held liable for your damages. In some circumstances, sufficient insurance coverage may not be available, in which case you must file an uninsured motorist claim or submit a claim against the emergency services carrier.

Causation

Additionally, you have to prove that this breach of duty caused the accident if you cannot prove that the accident occurred due to negligence on the emergency vehicle driver’s part.

Damages

Another crucial aspect to consider when preparing your claim is evaluating the extent of your injuries due to this incident. It is important to remember that you cannot file a personal injury claim if you did not sustain any injuries in the accident.

Insurance companies request to see proof of these injuries in the form of medical bills, so if you have been involved in a car accident with an emergency vehicle, be sure to retain your medical bills to support your injury claim.

An Auto Accident Lawyer Can Help You Prove Liability

If you want to know more about proving liability for fire trucks and ambulance accidents, contact an auto accident lawyer from Ehline Law Firm right away to obtain legal advice.

An experienced ambulance accident lawyer can help you establish liability and gather evidence to support your claim. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible during your free consultation.

Get the Compensation You Truly Deserve

Injured claimants typically seek compensation from just one source, limiting their potential to receive the compensation they truly deserve. Ambulance companies may be just as much to blame as an ambulance drivers, so you may be able to pursue both parties for payment.

Ambulance accident lawyers from Ehline Law Firm seek compensation from various sources to ensure you get a fair settlement covering all your injuries from all responsible parties.

Common Ambulance Victims?

The most common accidents reported by physicians involve hospitalized pedestrians, people riding bicycles, and CalTrans officials working on the construction.

What If You Were Being Transported in an Ambulance?

You may be wondering what would happen if you were injured while being transported by an ambulance. In such circumstances, determining the extent of your injuries due to the ambulance accident can be incredibly challenging because you have already been hurt.

Accidents involving ambulances and EMS trucks can undoubtedly harm the passengers of other cars involved. But another victim can also be the person the ambulance is transporting.

In such instances, the ambulance crew has a responsibility to drive such a negligent-free passenger to the hospital safely so that they can receive the necessary medical treatment.

Patients Can Die From Additional Injuries

Such crash victims could die due to their involvement in these collisions. A wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by the family of a person killed in an ambulance or EMS vehicle accident to claim costs such as funeral expenses, medical expenses, and the loss of consortium.

Contact a Los Angeles lawyer at Ehline Law to receive legal assistance in filing a wrongful death claim in these cases.

Common Injuries Sustained in Los Angeles Emergency Vehicle Collisions

Because emergency vehicles often have to travel at high speeds, collisions with these vehicles may result in serious injuries. Victims can suffer significant head injuries and even permanent disability.

Here are some of the common injuries that occur in these types of car accidents:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Burns and blemishes
• Severed limbs
• Spinal cord injuries
• Eye damage resulting in loss of vision
• Whiplash injuries
• Amputations
• Organ damage and failure
• Severe neck injuries
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement.

It’s essential to seek medical attention immediately after an ambulance accident if you have sustained an injury. The longer you wait, the more complicated your injuries can get in a case against an ambulance business.

Get in touch with a Los Angeles attorney from Ehline Law Firm if you don’t have access to competent medical care. We can often refer you to doctors dealing with medical liens so you don’t have to pay cash for your healthcare to obtain the best results.

Steps to Take Following an EMS Truck or Ambulance Accident

After a collision has occurred, there are steps that you can take to help your car accident case. Here is what you should do following a car wreck involving an emergency response vehicle.

Contact the California Highway Patrol Agency

One of the most important things you can do at the accident scene is to contact the police. California Highway Patrol officers draw up an accident report that can provide vital evidence to support a personal injury claim.

Alternatively, you can file an incident report within 24 hours. If you have been injured, police officers also ensure that you get the emergency healthcare required.

Seek Medical Care

You must receive treatment from a medical professional following a car accident. Even if your injuries appear insignificant, they may be more serious than you realize. Receiving treatment for your injuries is also an essential part of the process when it comes to filing a personal injury claim, as there cannot be a claim if you cannot prove that you were injured.

Obtain Photographic Evidence at the Accident Scene

Another essential step to take at the scene of an accident is to take as many photographs and videos as you can. This can help your attorney obtain enough supporting evidence to prove negligence in your car accident case.

Gather Your Records

If you intend to file a personal injury claim, you must retain your medical records, property damage records, and evidence of lost income. This can help your Los Angeles lawyer accurately assess the value of your claim and provide vital evidence of the damages you sustained as a result of the accident.

What Damages Can You Claim in Los Angeles EMS Auto Accidents?

Every case is different, so every victim is entitled to depend on the facts surrounding the accident and the severity of their injuries. Here are some of the damages you can claim following a Los Angeles accident.

Medical Expenses

If you win your personal injury case, you may be entitled to reimbursement for medical expenses incurred as a result of your bodily injuries. This might cover fees like transportation to and from the hospital, medical facility, or at-home treatment programs. Medical expenses cover past and future expenses, so if you require further treatment, your claim should also include these costs.

Lost Income

An accident of this nature can result in serious injuries and even permanent disability, which means that people are often unable to work. If your accident has forced you to lose substantial time in the office or rendered you unable to perform your duties, you may be entitled to compensation for lost income.

Should your injury render you permanently handicapped and therefore unable to find a steady job, or if you lose your job because you are unable to work, you also may be entitled to further lost wages compensation.

Pain and Suffering

Victims can claim damages for physiological pain and mental anguish in many personal injury cases. These damages may be tough to quantify, so it is important to seek legal assistance to determine how much you are entitled to for these special damages.

Property Damage

If you have been in an accident with your pickup truck and it was damaged during the collision, you are entitled to compensation for the damages to your vehicle. Insurance liability may cover the costs of repairing these damages. But you can often claim them back from the negligent party.

Property Damage for Ambulance Drivers

Suppose you were driving an ambulance, and a collision occurred as a result of another driver’s negligence, causing damages to the rear ambulance side doors and other parts of the vehicle. In that case, the ambulance carrier often claims these damages from their insurance companies. If the driver or occupants were injured in the accident, they might include property damage in their claim.

Punitive Damages

In some instances where the ambulance operator was incredibly negligent, victims can claim punitive damages. These damages go beyond simple compensation and are designed to punish a defendant for careless driving. During your free consultation with an attorney from Ehline Law Firm, you can discuss whether you can claim punitive damages.

EMS Services in California

Here are the EMS agencies that currently operate with California hospitals:

• Ventura County EMS Agency
• Yolo County EMS Agency
• Sierra-Sacramento Valley EMS Agency
• San Luis Obispo County EMS Agency
• Riverside County EMS Agency
• San Benito County EMS Agency
• Santa Cruz County EMS Agency
• San Mateo County EMS Agency
• Central California EMS Agency
• Imperial County EMS Agency
• Solano County EMS Agency
• Napa County EMS Agency
• San Joaquin County EMS Agency
• Orange County EMS Agency
• Merced County EMS Agency
• El Dorado County EMS Agency
• Alameda County EMS Agency
• Contra Costa County EMS Agency
• Los Angeles County EMS Agency
• Marin County EMS Agency
• Mountain-Valley EMS Agency
• Coastal Valleys EMS Agency
• Kern County EMS Agency
• North Coast EMS Agency
• Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency
• Northern California EMS Agency
• Sacramento County EMS Agency
• Monterey County EMS Agency
• San Diego County EMS Agency
• San Francisco County EMS Agency
• Santa Barbara County EMS Agency
• Santa Clara County EMS Agency
• Tuolumne County EMS Agency.

Reasons to Choose Ehline Law Firm

Did you suffer the loss of a husband, wife, child, parent, or civil spouse?

• You receive a free consultation from discussing the specifics of your case with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
• The lawyers at Ehline Law are not afraid to tackle any insurance company or large corporation.
• There are several offices in Los Angeles, CA, so you never have to travel far to receive legal assistance.
• Ehline Law Firm has a proven track record, having won more than $100 million in compensation for victims.
• You are not required to pay any upfront legal fees, as fees are charged on a contingency basis.

Need Sound Legal Advice Concerning Emergency Vehicle Accidents? Contact Ehline Law Today!

In a tenacious and unwavering pursuit of clients’ best interests, the attorneys at Ehline Law can assist you. We help ambulance accident victims receive the best possible results when filing an EMS accident claim.

Attorneys Who Understand

We know how devastating it is to lose a loved one in a car accident. We understand how difficult dealing with a severe or permanent injury following an accident that was not your fault can become. The Ehline Law legal team can help you get back on your feet. We’ll hold the negligent person responsible for their reckless driving.

Get the Legal Assistance You Need Today

Our car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping severely injured people and their loved ones recover and get back to their everyday lives. We understand that being injured in a car accident is a daunting experience.

On some occasions, injury victims may not be physically able to return to work for an extended period of time, or ever! Losing their breadwinner can become a burden for your entire family. Our premier legal team is here to help lift the responsibility you shoulder. You should not be fighting to receive substantial fair compensation without the best legal representation.

Contact Ambulance Accident Attorneys In Los Angeles Today!

At Ehline Law Firm, we think that no one should be forced to struggle because paramedics or another driver fails to drive safely. Call one of our over 15 offices, or complete the website contact form to set up a free consultation 24 hours a day.

Dial (213) 596-9642 or get in touch with an attorney by completing the online form today. During our chat, we’ll explain the whole process and ensure you know the importance of the statute of limitations.