Hampton Accident Involving Ambulance Leads to Loss of Life

by James Lewis

JIm is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

9/29/2011
James Lewis
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Hampton Accident Involving Ambulance Leads to Loss of Life

Pretty much everyone has encountered an ambulance while driving. Most drivers understand that when an ambulance has its sirens on and is rushing to the hospital, you slow down, pull over and do what you can to get out of the way so the ambulance can get to its destination as soon as possible. Not doing so can lead to an increased risk of accidents.

Unfortunately, a recent accident in Hampton, Virginia (VA), illustrates just how bad an accident can be when an ambulance is involved. An ambulance was transporting a patient when it was hit by an SUV at the intersection of North Armistead Avenue and Mercury Boulevard. The patient in the ambulance was in respiratory arrest at the time of the wreck, according to the Daily Press.

Sadly, the patient later died at the hospital. He was only 42 years old. The ambulance was using both its sirens and its emergency lights, but the driver of a Chevy Suburban did not heed these warnings. In addition to the death of the innocent patient, six people were taken to Riverside Hospital with injuries. Police are still determining whether or not to file charges against the at-fault driver.

A pressing question that needs to be answered is whether the Hampton intersection accident caused the patient's death. If the patient's family were to file a wrongful death claim, the family's personal injury attorney would need to address this issue. In the personal injury field, the issue is known as "proximate cause." Basically, this is a legal determination for what caused a person's injury or death. Another issue a Hampton wrongful death lawyer will have to determine is if the at-fault driver was reckless. For example, if the at-fault driver was distracted while behind the wheel or ran a traffic light, the attorney could consult with the family and attempt to pursue punitive damages.

To learn more about Virginia wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by a wrongful death attorney.

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Category: Car Accident Lawyers & Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Labels: accident ambulance Hampton Hampton wrongful death lawyer injuries injury Lewis Mercury Boulevard North Armistead Avenue SUV Wreck wrongful death

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia Beach, VA-based injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and we have handled thousands of car accident, truck wreck, and motorcycle crash cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself.

We've handled car accident cases throughout Virginia including Richmond, Fairfax, Alexandria, and the Hampton Roads region including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Portsmouth, Newport News, and Suffolk.

Our primary office is in Virginia Beach at the intersection of Diamond Springs Road and Northampton Boulevard. We also have an office on Eaton Street in Hampton. All of our accident injury attorneys were raised in Virginia and have deep roots with the community.

Our Virginia injury law firm has been recognized as one of the best injury law firms in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report since 2010. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed on the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Rick and Jim were named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of lawyers receive. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms.

We also offer free special reports on distracted driving and the Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us at 1-800-752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you shortly.

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