Everyone knows of the importance of firefighters. Additionally, most people are aware of the potential dangers a firefighter faces every day they report to duty. Most people, however, may not fully understand that car accidents involving fire trucks have the potential of causing some very serious, if not fatal, injuries. For example, several people were recently injured in California after their car was struck by a fire truck.
The accident involved two fire trucks returning from a call one day in mid-September. Reports indicate that the first truck slowed due to traffic. Unfortunately, the second truck was unable to stop in time, causing it to strike the rear of a sedan. The force of the impact pushed the sedan into the back of the first fire truck.
Three people in the sedan were seriously injured and transported to an area hospital for treatment. None of the total of eight firefighters on the trucks were injured. It is unclear at this time if charges are expected to be filed as a result of the collision.
While firefighters work hard every day to ensure the safety of others, the three people in the car will now have to face the financial, physical and emotional ramifications of the serious injuries they suffered in the accident. Car accidents can lead to significant hospital stays and ongoing rehabilitation, resulting in multiple medical bills and lost wages if the victims must miss work as they recover. Civil litigation in the form of a personal injury claim may be appropriate in a case such as this. If the injured parties can prove their injuries resulted from another’s negligence, a California court could decide to award them with damages to help alleviate the financial burdens created by the accident.
Source: abc30.com, “Two Cal Fire trucks, car crash on Highway 41 in Fresno“, , Sept. 15, 2014