2007-12-21 19:51:48 · 17 answers · asked by STUDY 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
The ambulance and the city/county
2007-12-21 19:54:09 · answer #1 · answered by ஐ♥Julian'sMommy♥ஐ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The employers of the ambulance driver are vicariously liable for the negligent acts or omissions by the employees in the course of their employment. For an act to be considered as within the course of employment it must be either (1) a wrongful act authorised by the master or (2) a wrongful and unauthorised mode of doing something authorised by the master.
In Century Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Northern Ireland Road Transport Board, the defendants were held liable for the carelessness of their driver (throwing a match at a petrol station which caused explosion) because the act was considered as a negligent method of conducting his work.
In addition, courts sometime distinguish between an employee's detour or frolic. An employer will be held liable if it is shown that the employee had gone on a mere detour in carrying out his duties such as taking lunch. An employee acting in his or her own right rather than on the employer's business is undertaking a "frolic" and will not subject the employer to liability.
2007-12-22 08:48:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends. Who was at fault? Your question lacks any information for any informed advice to be given.
If the ambulance is at fault, then they are responsible
If the other person is at fault, then they other person is responsible.
In my experience, it is usally the other driver who is at fault. Either by out and out failure to yield, not paying attention or plain ignorance.
In 17 plus years of operationg emrgency vehicles I have seen people do all sorts of crazy things from coming to a complete sudden stop in front of me to people pulling to the left into oncoming traffic and having a head on collison . When an emergency vehicle and something else collide, it is usually the other drivers fault.
2007-12-22 13:29:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they were on a call, and all of their warning systems were activated (flashing lights, sirens, AM/FM/Cell-Phone scramblers, etc), and the person they hit wasn't using a red-tipped white cane, and the person was moving at all, then it is the person.
If they WEREN'T on a call, or if they FAILED to enable any of their warning systems, or if the person they hit had no way of knowing where they were coming from, then it would be the driver of the ambulance.
Unless you live some place like Portland Oregon, where emergency vehicles are allowed to "test" their warning systems any time they so desire (usually to 'squawk' their way through red lights on their way to their favorite lunch site or back to the station for some kind of meeting), to where emergency-vehicle drivers become so accustomed to turning one or more of their warning systems OFF, that they often wind up turning one or more of their systems off, while on a call. In such a nefarious jurisdiction as that, it has been known to happen that emergency vehicles wind up responding to calls without ANY of their warning systems activated (usually Fire or Police, where they go to a call in packs) and when all the sirening/blinking vehicles go through, and the non-emergeny motorists resume normal driving, to wind up in a collision with the one jerk in the pack who didn't have his/her sirens and lights enabled, it somehow STILL winds up becoming the responsibility of the motorists and pedestrians thus endangered.
In other words, it all depends on whether or not you live in a jurisdiction ruled by corrupt officials.
2007-12-22 10:16:10 · answer #4 · answered by Robert G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ambulances are only allowed to break traffic laws (IE wrong side of road, going through a red light in an intersection, etc) only when they do not endanger themselves or others. Flashing lights and sirens don't give them a mandate to break laws with neglect but are required on when they do. If an ambulance rolls through an intersect and they have the red light, fault is on them unless can be proved otherwise.
2007-12-22 04:15:30 · answer #5 · answered by yanksfan868686 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think its about time that ambulances took responsibility for their own actions.
Love Jack
2007-12-22 03:54:21 · answer #6 · answered by Jack 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the driver first of all
then the county or city or private company that owns the ambulance
2007-12-22 03:54:51 · answer #7 · answered by jbond8035 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The driver
2007-12-22 09:26:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Insurance Co.
2007-12-22 03:54:35 · answer #9 · answered by b r 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If it is a private ambulance, it would be the company. If not it would be the township.
2007-12-22 03:55:04 · answer #10 · answered by lareinaii 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋