Firefighting is an extremely dangerous profession with wrongful death always lurking around the corner.  Whether it’s at the scene of the fire, on the way to a fire, an explosion, or even while training; firefighters face a relatively high chance of being injured or killed on duty.

One San Diego firefighter had no idea that when he and his colleagues went to the scene of a car accident to care for the injured he would in turn be injured in a pedestrian accident himself.

 

As personal injury attorneys, we know that injuries from a car accident, slip and fall accident or pedestrian accident often result in tremendous pain and suffering.

The man and his colleagues stopped on northbound Interstate 15, just north of Mira Mesa Boulevard, responding to a car accident.  The man, who was among a crew of four firefighters, was placing safety cones on the freeway to warn oncoming drivers of a fire caused by the auto accident.

Several minutes later, a Honda Accord traveling at freeway speed hit the left rear bumper of the fire engine, causing it to slam into his shoulder and tossing him into the air.  The impact threw him about 10 feet and he landed face down on the road.

The man was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for the injuries he sustained from the impact.  After he was released from the hospital he felt his job was still not done and went back to work not thinking about himself but rather his professional duty to help those who need it.  When asked about returning to work after he sustained minor injuries, he was quick to reply “sitting on the sidelines was not an option because we are trained to protect and serve.”

Each year, tens of thousands of firefighters are injured in the performance of their duties and according to the U.S Fire Administration (USFA) in 2007 alone 118 firefighters died while on duty.  As pedestrian accident attorneys, we know that he was lucky he only suffered minor injuries when he was hit by a fire truck.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer to find out how we may help you.  We look forward to providing good advice to help you make smart decisions about your case in either English or Spanish.