Taking a ride in an ambulance is never a desirable situation. The experience of being rushed at high speed through traffic to the hospital can be a frightening but necessary one when a serious and sudden injury or illness has befallen someone. However, sometimes the fast-paced and aggressive driving of an emergency technician can lead to additional harm.
That’s exactly what happened to one Louisiana man recently, after an ambulance accident lead to injury and a damage to the wheelchair he is confined to. The New Orleans man was being taken to a nearby V.A. Medical Center for an appointment when the another vehicle collided with the ambulance from behind.
Much of the man’s misfortune primarily stemmed from drivers and emergency responders not buckling him and his chair properly for the ride. An injury suit against the Acadian Ambulance Service and Zurich American Insurance Company has been filed in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
The amount of damages being sought be the 50-year-old man has yet to be specified, but his case is seeking compensation for medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and damage to a wheelchair.
The man’s case is a prime example of just how unexpected a dangerous accident can be for those involved. Even when a passenger is in an environment of perceived safety and care, unforeseen collisions can come to inflict serious and long-damaging injury. However, for those injured in an auto accident, opportunities for recourse do exist. Getting in touch with a personal injury attorney can clarify the opportunities and options for legal action.
Source: The Louisiana Record, “Ambulance company sued for injuries passenger received in car accident,” Kyle Barnett, Dec. 18, 2012
