We’ve all experienced it at one point or another. You were driving down the road when an emergency vehicle suddenly appeared in your rear view mirror or directly in front of you. Obeying the “move over law,” you pull off to the side and let them speed through. In most cases these interactions are fairly organized and over quickly. However, what happens if the emergency vehicle in question is driving so recklessly it leaves you with little time to react – and you end up in an accident? Do you have any legal options or are government vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks and police cars beyond reproach?
While it is hardly the “norm,” such accidents can, and do happen. Over the past few decades the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have conducted extensive research into emergency vehicle accidents. While not shocking, the numbers are considerable. In a 20 year period there were over 4000 ambulance collisions, with almost 35 percent of these accidents resulting in a fatality. For firefighters, vehicle collisions that occur when responding to a call remain the second highest cause of death. So while it is clear that emergency vehicle accidents are a real issue for motorist, the question remains – what can be done?
In general, taking the government to court for an emergency vehicle accident is difficult. Officers, firefighters and EMTs enjoy a certain level of immunity when it comes to responding to dangerous situations. Additionally, there are tight deadlines when it comes to such action. However, it can be done. But we encourage anyone who has been involved in such a collision and wishes to take legal action, to contact the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. to schedule a comprehensive consultation with a car accident lawyer. There are typically very short statute of limitations when it comes to cases like these so we recommend you to contact us as soon as possible so that we can go over the statute of limitations with you.