Here’s What You Need to Know About Filing an Insurance Claim After an Ambulance Accident
Did you know that nearly 60% of ambulance accidents happen during an emergency?
According to a report by the NHTSA, there are approximately 6,500 accidents involving ambulances annually, with an average of 2,600 people injured. Anytime you’re involved in a car accident, it is a monumentally stressful experience, but when you’re injured by an emergency vehicle, the situation grows more complex.
If you or a loved one has experienced an ambulance accident, you need a personal injury attorney on your side to guide you through the process of filing an ambulance accident insurance claim and help you better understand your rights under Texas law.
How Do Ambulance Accidents Happen?
Ambulances play a critical role in emergency response, and therefore, they are entitled to operate under a unique set of rules:
- They tend to drive at very high speeds to save lives.
- Ambulance drivers have the right to use lights and sirens to navigate more easily and efficiently through traffic
- While they can do what they need to do to save a life, they still have a responsibility to drive safely and follow basic traffic laws
These factors, and more, can complicate assessing liability in many ambulance accidents. Was the ambulance responding to an emergency? Did it use its lights and sirens? These things can significantly impact your insurance claim and affect the number of accidents in general. In fact, 45.7% of the fatal crashes occurred during emergency use of the ambulance, and 28% occurred when lights and sirens were active. Emergency medical workers are at a higher crash risk than other first responders, including law enforcement officers and firefighters.
What Do I Do After an Ambulance Accident?
If you’ve been hit in an ambulance accident, take the following steps immediately after the incident to prioritize your health and help your potential insurance claim:
- Prioritize Your Safety: Check everyone involved in the ambulance accident for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance. Your injuries may not feel serious at the moment due to the shock from the incident, but it is crucial to get checked over by a medical professional as soon as possible.
- Document Your Evidence: If it’s safe to do so, and your injuries aren’t too severe, try to take photos of the accident scene, including the ambulance, your vehicle, and any visible injuries. This evidence will be extremely valuable if you choose to file an insurance claim.
- Gather Contact and Insurance Information: Exchange contact and insurance information with the ambulance crew and any other people involved in the ambulance accident – including any witness statements you can get.
- File a Police Report: You want to have an official police report on record for all of the details surrounding the incident. Make sure you request a copy of the report for your own records if you need it to file a claim.
- Contact a Trusted Personal Injury Attorney: Cases involving emergency vehicles are very complex and require expert knowledge of Texas law, so it’s crucial to consult with a skilled personal injury attorney right after the accident.
Navigating a Complex Insurance Claim After an Ambulance Accident
If you are wondering, “Can I file an insurance claim when the accident involves an ambulance?” the answer is a resounding “Yes”. No matter what type of accident you’ve been in, you are entitled to file an insurance claim. The only problem is that ambulance accidents have a unique set of restrictions that can be challenging to navigate.
Here’s what you may be able to recover with the help of a personal injury attorney:
- Full medical expenses for any injuries sustained in the ambulance accident
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Lost wages if your injuries stopped you from working
- Compensation for your pain and suffering
Legal Representation is the Key to Increasing Your Ambulance Accident Compensation
Please remember, it’s important to note that filing a claim involving an ambulance can be more complex than a standard car accident claim. You may have to get involved with government entities or deal with specific liability laws related to emergency vehicles. With a case this complicated, it is best to join forces with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney who can handle all the twists and turns on the road to your fair settlement.
A personal injury attorney will understand the nuances of Texas laws regarding ambulance accidents and can handle the complex procedures on your behalf. Your attorney will effectively gather all the necessary evidence to support your insurance claim and handle the demanding communications with your insurance company. If the insurer refuses to deliver a fair settlement, your personal injury attorney will take your case to court to protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Partner With Angel Reyes & Associates to Recover from Your Ambulance Accident
If you’ve been in an ambulance accident in Texas, you don’t have to navigate these difficult times on your own. At Angel Reyes & Associates, we are wholeheartedly committed to protecting your rights and helping you seek the compensation you deserve for the pain you’ve endured.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. Our compassionate team of personal injury attorneys will listen to your story, answer all your questions, and offer a shoulder to cry on and clear guidance on your legal options. Your voice deserves to be heard.
Don’t wait – time is of the essence in these cases due to specific deadlines for insurance claims against government entities. Stop by one of our offices in Dallas, Fort-Worth, Houston or Austin so we can discuss your case face-to-face. You’re in good hands with Angel Reyes & Associates.
