Ambulances are supposed to signify that help has arrived, and that those injured or dying are about to receive help.  So what happens when an ambulance is the one that needs assistance after it is involved in an automobile accident?

That was the case early Saturday morning on February 7, 2009 when a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance was in a car accident near the rain-soaked 101 Freeway while taking an injured auto accident person to a hospital.  The car accident occurred at 1:26 a.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, but no information on the cause of the accident was available.

Our firm’s San Diego car accident lawyers know from experience that you put everyone on the road at risk of personal injury and wrongful death when you decided to drink or use drugs before driving a car.  Many times people are left permanently scarred from accidents that happen because of a drunk-driver.

The two paramedics and the female patient in the ambulance were okay after the ambulance’s auto accident, the official said.  That ambulance was one of several rescue units that had responded to a car accident on the southbound 101 Freeway that injured four Long Beach residents, one of them critically, the California Highway Patrol said.

CHP said the car’s driver, a 33-year-old man, was driving under the influence of alcohol and on nonprescription drugs (DUI) which caused his Infiniti to slam into a guardrail in a single-car accident at 60 mph. The car landed on its roof, striking a large metal signpost.

One of the passengers, a 26-year-old woman had major injuries to her head and was listed in extremely critical condition, while another woman, 27, had injuries to her neck and back, according to the CHP.  The male passenger, 27, was listed in moderate condition, while the driver walked away from the scene.

The car accident attorneys at our San Diego law firm are continually stunned that drivers continue to drink and drive.  Drunk-driving car accidents are the most preventable accidents because all the driver needs to do is resist the urge to drive drunk.  While the cause of the ambulance’s car accident is unavailable at the moment, it is clear that this auto accident would not have occurred if the first driver had not driven drunk.

Moreover, there is a serious issue as to the drunk-driver’s two passengers.  Did they know the driver was intoxicated?  Did they observe this person drinking alcohol?  Did they smell alcohol on the driver’s breath?  If so, then the driver’s car accident insurance company might argue that these passengers “assumed the risk” of getting into a car with a drunk driver  which can have severe consequences on the passengers’ financial recovery.

How often is it that two unrelated car accidents are caused by one driver’s mistake?

If you were injured and believe that you deserve compensation, then call our bilingual law offices right away at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney and find out how we can help you.  We look forward to providing good advice for your case.  There is no fee if no recovery.