Ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles are crucial to ensuring public safety and saving lives. To arrive quickly at their destination, these vehicles operate under special laws that allow them to travel at high speeds, drive on the wrong side of the road, and pass through stop signs and red lights. Pedestrians and other drivers must be vigilant and prepared to react when they hear sirens and see flashing lights.

Nonetheless, accidents involving emergency vehicles are not uncommon, and the frequency of these accidents has continued to rise since 2010. While most drivers know what to do after an accident with a private citizen, the process can be different for an accident involving an emergency vehicle. Here, we explain the law that applies and how to protect yourself if you were involved in an accident with an emergency vehicle.

The personal injury lawyers at Robenalt Law have more than 45 years of combined legal experience representing people injured in motor vehicle accidents. We have earned a reputation for achieving superior results on behalf of our clients. To put our experience to work for you, contact Robenalt Law today to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Sovereign Immunity in Emergency Vehicle Accidents

Under Ohio’s sovereign immunity law,

The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or public safety vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire or other emergency alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this regulation, but subject to the conditions herein stated. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or public safety vehicle may:

1. Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of these regulations;
2. Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
3. Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he or she does not endanger life or property; and
4. Disregard regulations governing the direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

These exemptions only apply when the driver of the emergency vehicle has an audible siren, signal, or exhaust whistle, and at least one lighted lamp displaying authorized emergency lights visible 500 feet from the front of the vehicle.

Although drivers of emergency vehicles have certain privileges, they are not exempt from the law.

Who Is Responsible for an Accident Involving an Emergency Vehicle?

When the driver of a non-emergency vehicle is observing applicable traffic laws and was struck by an emergency vehicle being operated negligently or recklessly, the driver of the non-emergency vehicle is entitled to compensation for their losses. However, obtaining the compensation you deserve can be complicated and challenging.

The personal injury lawyers at Robenalt Law can evaluate your situation and investigate whether the driver of the emergency vehicle was following applicable laws. For example, if the driver of the emergency vehicle was ignoring traffic laws without turning on their sirens and lights or was otherwise driving negligently, they may not be entitled to sovereign immunity and could be liable for your losses.

Proving Liability in Accidents Involving Emergency Vehicles

Determining who is liable for accidents involving emergency vehicles can depend on who owned the emergency vehicle and whether they were following applicable laws. For example, if the accident involved a private ambulance company and the driver disobeyed the law, your claim for personal injury damages would proceed the same way it would with any other defendant. Your lawyer would file a claim with the ambulance company’s insurance company and work to obtain a satisfactory resolution.

However, if the driver of the emergency vehicle was working for a government agency, your claim may be even more complicated. Under Ohio law, some political subdivisions are immune from claims for negligence, even when their negligence resulted in property damage, personal injury, or death. However, there are exceptions to the doctrine of sovereign immunity. If you were injured in an accident involving an emergency vehicle, we recommend contacting our office as soon as possible. Our lawyers can review your circumstances to determine whether you have a viable claim for damages.

Holding the Responsible Drivers Accountable After an Accident with an Emergency Vehicle

When the driver of an emergency vehicle was not obeying the law and negligently or recklessly causes an accident, they should be held responsible for the harm they caused. Unfortunately, proving the driver of an emergency vehicle was at fault can be a daunting and complicated process.

Robenalt Law has extensive experience litigating complex claims for personal injuries and wrongful death. We handle most personal injury claims on a contingency fee, which means you do not owe us a fee unless and until we recover money for you.

Contact Robenalt Law Today

To put our experience to work for you, contact Robenalt Law today. We have offices in Cleveland and Columbus and represent people in personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Ohio and nationwide.

Call our Cleveland office at (216) 223-7535 or our Columbus office at (614)-695-3800 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation appointment to discuss your situation and how we can help.