Omaha Emergency Vehicle Accident Attorney

Injured in a Crash in Omaha With an Emergency Vehicle? Call Now

Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars are legally allowed to travel at high speeds in certain situations. When you hear sirens, you have a responsibility to stop or pull over to the side of the road as soon as it’s safe. Although police cars and emergency vehicles have the right to break certain traffic rules when they have their sirens on, they also have a responsibility to consider the safety of others.

Your Omaha car accident attorney can determine if the negligent actions of an emergency vehicle driver makes them legally liable for your injuries. There can also be cases where a third party may be partially or completely responsibility for your injuries, such as the driver of another vehicle whose actions caused an emergency vehicle to crash into you.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident caused by the reckless actions of a police car, fire truck, ambulance driver, or another motorist in Omaha, you may be able to seek compensation to cover the cost of your injuries and other expenses cause by the collision. Contact Bottlinger Law L.L.C by calling (402) 505-8234 to learn more.

Police Car and Fire Engine Accidents

As government employees, police officers and firefighters have certain legal protections against liability. If they are on the job and responding to an official call, they have the right to disobey traffic laws to get where they’re going more quickly. That means they’re allowed to do things like run red lights or even drive on the wrong side of the road as long as they have their sirens on. But police officers and firefighters still need to take reasonable precautions such as slowing down and checking for cars before they enter an intersection.

If a police officer firefighter drives without regard for others, even when their sirens are on, they may be held liable for injuries they cause because they have breached their legal responsibilities. And when the driver of a police car or fire engine fails to turn on their sirens or if they carelessly cause an accident while they are on the clock, they can be held liable for the injuries they cause to others.

Whether they have their sirens activated or not, emergency vehicle drivers and the agencies that employ them can be held liable for the injures they cause in the following circumstances:

• Driving while intoxicated
• Drowsy driving
• Drunk driving
• Not following official policies
• Driving faster than advisable due to rainy, foggy, icy, or snowy conditions
• Speeding or violating traffic laws in an unmarked vehicle without a siren
• Improper or insufficient driver training
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Operating a fire engine without properly secured fire apparatuses such as ladders or hitches

Ambulance Driver Accidents

Ambulances are large vehicles that can cause a lot of damage when they collide with a car, motorcycle, bicycle rider, or pedestrian while traveling at high speeds. Even when their sirens are on, ambulance drivers must be careful to avoid collisions that may harm other people on the road as well as the patients they are transporting. There’s no sense in rushing a patient to the hospital if you cause a wreck on your way there.

Unlike police cars and fire engines that are government vehicles, ambulances are privately owned. That means ambulance drivers don’t benefit from the same type of liability protection that government employees have. This makes it a lot easier to pursue a lawsuit against a negligent ambulance driver who caused your injuries.

Police Pursuit Injuries

During a recent police pursuit in Omaha, the vehicles involved reached speeds in excess of 120 mph. Many people have questioned whether it is wise to engage in these risky car chases. In fact, 87 innocent bystanders die in police chases every year.

The Nebraska State Legislature has mandated that every law enforcement agency in the state must adopt and implement written policy determining when a pursuit may be initiated and when is should be discontinued. If a police department violates its own rules regarding police pursuit, a person who is injured during a police pursuit may be able to recover damages to pay for expenses caused by their injuries.

Compassionate Legal Representation in Omaha

If you or someone you love has been hurt or killed in an automobile accident due to someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to pay for it yourself. Your car accident attorney can investigate the accident and file a claim to help you get compensation to cover the costs of your injuries and other expenses.

At Bottlinger Law L.L.C., we offer a FREE initial consultation with no obligation and we work on a contingency-fee basis. That means you don’t pay anything unless we win your case. Give us a call at (402) 505-8234 today to learn more. At Bottlinger Law L.L.C., we’re here to help.