On Monday morning around 2 AM of August 2nd, a Stockton fire truck was hit by a passenger vehicle while dispatching to a 911 call. The collision caused the back cab of the fire truck to crash into a building injuring the rear cab driver.
Details From the Crash
Paramedics took the injured firefighter to a nearby hospital to treat a broken femur and a bruised spleen. The passenger vehicle driver that caused the crash was sent to the hospital but was later released. The firefighter is currently recovering from surgery for his broken femur, but thankfully he is expected to make a full recovery.
Emergency Response Vehicle Accidents
Emergency responders like firefighters, police, and paramedics put their lives at risk to help others daily. Every call they respond to has the potential to result in their personal injury or even death. In 2019, the National Safety Council found that 170 people died in emergency vehicle related accidents, with around 10% of those fatalities occurring in emergency responder vehicle passengers. However, the majority of deaths, about 63%, occurred in non-emergency vehicles.
Emergency Responder Workers Compensation
California workers’ compensation law protects all employees by allowing them to file a claim for injuries or illnesses arising from your job. However, firefighters have added protections that allow them extra protections for work related injuries and diseases.
These are:
- A firefighter who cannot return to work due to an injury sustained while on the job is entitled to collect a whole year’s salary instead of specific disability benefits.
- Firefighters are granted a presumptive benefit of the doubt when they contract certain illnesses or injuries such as an infectious disease or cancer. California law grants firefighters a unique circumstance and gives the presumptive benefit of the doubt to the firefighters that the illness or injury was work related. Other workers do not have this presumption.
Recap
This incident in Stockton this past Monday on August 2nd, was an unfortunate accident. Thankfully the injured firefighter is reported to be okay, and medical professionals are treating his injuries. With the special protections offered to firefighters, he will also have the workers’ compensation benefits that he needs. However, it’s not always a smooth process when filing workers’ compensation claims. If you’ve been injured in a car accident on the job and your employer has denied your claim. Or if your employer’s insurance company is slowing down the process and delaying your claim. You should seek advice from our qualified attorneys at Stockton Workers’ Compensation Attorneys, P.C. Our attorneys have a proven track record of success, with a total of over $5.7 million in workers’ compensation benefits already acquired for those who need it most.
Give us a call at (209) 323-5126 or visit our website to schedule your free consultation today.
