Maryland Accident Law Blog
Last week, two Crisfield ambulance attendants and their patient were injured on the way to Peninsula Regional Medical Center when the ambulance they were riding in was hit by another vehicle at the Cedar Lane intersection on U.S. 13.
Lower Somerset County Ambulance and Rescue Squad’s ambulance 802 had just come from Marion Station where they had picked up their patient who had been involved in a vehicle-related accident. The ambulance workers, Angela Cvetko and Tim Collins, were also treated at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
Common causes for vehicle-related accidents:
· Speeding
· Driving under the influence
· Fatigue
· Becoming involved in an accident with another vehicle
· Rear ending another vehicle
· Defective traffic lights
· Driver error
· Running a red light
Common Injuries that can result from vehicle-related accidents:
· Broken bones
· Head or brain injuries
· Neck injuries
· Spinal cord or nerve damage
· Burns
· Limb amputations
The CDC offers the following statistics regarding ambulance-related accidents in the Untied States. From 1991-2000:
· Ambulances were involved in 300 fatal accidents resulting in the deaths of 80 ambulance occupants and 275 other people (pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles).
· 816 ambulance occupants were involved in these 300 accidents.
· 27 of the 80 ambulance occupants that died were on-duty EMS workers.
-41% of these workers were sitting in the driver’s seat
-5% were seated in the front right-side seat
Lebowitz and Mzhen is a personal injury law firm representing clients in the Maryland and Washington D.C. areas. If you have been injured in a vehicle-relatd accident due to the negligence of another drive, our experienced attorneys will discuss your situation and go over the options available to you. We will also work with insurance companies and other parties involved in your case to make sure that all your needs are handled quickly and appropriately. Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for a free consultation.
Crash Involves Ambulance; Crew Members, Patient Injured, Newszap.com, November 8, 2006
Ambulance Crash-Related Injuries Among Emergency Medical Services Workers — United States, 1991–2002, CDC.gov, February 8, 2003
Related Web Resource:
Ambulance Crash Log, emsnetwork.org