Emergency vehicles are involved in accidents nearly every day. This includes police, fire, or ambulances responding to emergency calls. It could also involve police vehicles involved in a chase. Emergency vehicles sometimes have accidents with innocent victims while in route to a call. The vehicles that they have an accident with might not have been doing anything wrong at the time of the accident. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Traffic Signals
Emergency vehicles are generally not exempt from obeying them. They are expected to stop if required and proceed with caution when it is safe to do so.
Sirens
Emergency vehicles have a choice on the noises a siren makes. They often change the tone and pitch to alert drivers of their presence. It is easy for traffic not to hear the siren at a monotonous steady tone. It is easy for a siren to blend in with background noise.
What happens when an emergency vehicle runs a stop sign and strikes another vehicle? Who is at fault? What if a police cruiser strikes another vehicle while chasing a suspect? These are important questions. The answers are not always clear.
Emergency vehicles are not exempt from following traffic laws. They are expected to use caution when responding to calls. Emergency responders are expected to proceed in a manner that limits risk to themselves and the public while proceeding to a call. The resources that are utilized are determined by the nature of the call. Emergency vehicles should have lights and sirens in use when responding to an emergency. All other drivers are required to yield the right of way to emergency vehicles. But still, there are collisions between emergency vehicles and the general public. The difficulty in these accidents is in determining who is at fault and who is liable for damages in these unfortunate accidents.
Many factors come into play when involved in an accident with an emergency vehicle. Getting expert legal advice as soon as possible. Contact our experienced law firm for assistance if you are involved in any motor vehicle accident.