Motor vehicle accidents typically require an experienced team of attorneys like those at Powell Law, where we’ve protected the rights of Pennsylvanians for over 113 years. If you have suffered an injury in a motor vehicle accident, consult the experienced personal injury attorneys at Powell Law. Your first consultation is free. Motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of death for on-duty firefighters. Today’s blog addresses the dangers faced by firefighters and other motorists when a fire truck is responding to a call and traveling at excessive speeds to arrive and provide assistance.
There are 30,000 road accidents involving firetrucks each year. Since firetrucks, like police cars and ambulances, are often responding to some type of emergency, most of the accidents occurred in these circumstances. Despite revising national standards to improve firetruck safety and reduce firefighters’ risk of injury and fatality, the annual injury and fatality rate has remained the same over the past 10-12 years.
Although firetruck accidents are rare compared to accidents involving non-emergency vehicles, they tend to have more serious consequences for the occupants of the firetruck and other vehicles involved in the accident. Because of the speed and size of firetrucks, any accidents involving them present the potential for severe and fatal injuries. Often accidents occur because a motor vehicle passing through an intersection on a green light is unaware of an oncoming emergency vehicle.
Research findings of the United States Fire Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that firefighters fail to buckle their seatbelts while traveling in a fire truck or other vehicle, placing themselves at a high risk for injury if a crash occurs, especially a rollover. While national regulations and departmental guidelines have tried to improve safety on fire vehicles, the use of safety belts remains significantly low.
If you require legal assistance in litigating a claim for damages resulting from a personal injury, contact Powell Law. Our long history of success in representing the residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania makes Powell Law the clear and obvious choice for representation in personal injury matters. Contact Powell Law at (570) 961-0777 or visit us online. The consultation is FREE and you don’t pay unless we win!
