Negligent Wheelchair Transportation Practices In Buffalo, New York

All of Jed Dietrich, Esq.’s Efforts to be the Best Personal Injury Attorney in Buffalo, New York, Have Been Recognized by Various Organizations. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s Veteran Lawyers are Passionate About Demanding the Justice that You Deserve for Your Injuries Caused by Not Being Properly Strapped Inside a Wheelchair Transport Van.

Non-emergency medical transportation companies use ambulettes, commonly known as wheelchair transport vans, to take wheelchair users to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy sessions, and vital medical procedures. These specially equipped vehicles can carry up to 14 passengers while seated in their wheelchairs. These services are extremely convenient for many of the country’s 2.7 million wheelchair users, especially when considering passengers never have to get out of their wheelchairs. The vehicles have designated areas for wheelchairs to be secured to the floor. Wheelchair transport companies must train attendants to use passenger harnesses and wheelchair restraint systems on various chair models to ensure that all passengers are properly secured.

While many passengers love the independence that non-emergency medical transport companies provide them, wheelchair users can be severely injured when proper procedures are overlooked. One of the biggest causes of injury is passengers not properly strapped into their chairs. Severe bodily harm, life-long pain and suffering, reduced self-reliance, and huge monetary burdens are some of the devastating consequences of occupants being left unsecured. These damages are often disturbing and overwhelming for victims, especially because failures to strap in passenger accidents could easily be avoided with reasonable care.

Suppose that you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Buffalo, New York, wheelchair transport accident involving a lack of restraints. In that case, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s compassionate team urges you to give us a call. We are a leading team of personal injury attorneys committed to meeting and exceeding our client’s expectations. Let our decades of practice litigating against some of the biggest corporations, hospitals, and insurance companies assist you in obtaining the best result. Our fundamental goal is to ensure that you never have to worry about affording medical treatment for your injuries. Insurance companies and negligent parties have compensated Jed Dietrich, Esq.’s clients more than $175,000,000.00 in judgments and settlements. Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his battle-tested team of attorneys know all the ins and outs of the legal process and understand exactly how to ensure that the legal system works for you. Please do not wait any longer to arrange your free case consultation and evaluation. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s top rated lawyers are available 24/7 by calling 716-839-3939 or by completing our online consultation form. 

Strapping a wheelchair into a van and fastening the occupant into his or her wheelchair are critically important steps when providing safe transport. A combination of tie-downs with anchorages installed into the ambulette’s floor and retractors are used to secure wheelchairs. Two retractors must be connected directly to both the front and back of the chair frame, as opposed to accessories or moving parts on the wheelchair, such as the wheels or leg rests. The retractors should be hooked directly to the anchorages and connected to the chair at a 45-degree angle. The tie-downs in most vans are either automatic or semi-automatic. Automatic retractors add tension once they are attached, while semi-automatic retractors require the attendant to add tension by turning a knob to take up the slack. When correctly attached and tensioned, wheelchair restraints will lock a chair in the same position throughout transportation.

Similar to occupants of other vehicles, passengers traveling in an ambulette need both a lap belt and shoulder harness to be fastened securely to their wheelchairs. The location of the wheelchair restraint relative to the starting point of the shoulder strap is crucial to allow the restraint system to keep the passenger in their wheelchair, especially in the event of an accident. To achieve proper restraint, the attendant must place the wheelchair so that it is facing forward. More recent chair models usually have integrated lap belts that are designed to serve as restraints within vehicles. However, passengers are still required to be buckled in with mounted shoulder harnesses. The combination of the wheelchair being anchored to the floor of the van and the passenger restraints complete the Wheelchair Tie-down Occupant Restraint System (WTORS).

While severe collisions cause unsuspecting passengers to suffer injuries, proper wheelchair restraint and passenger securement procedures can help prevent devastating harm in the majority of cases. Most injuries suffered by passengers caused by not strapping them into chairs result from negligent ambulette attendants. Inadequately restraining the wheelchair or neglecting to sufficiently secure the passenger can lead to belt entanglements, falls, tip-overs, and even flip-overs during the trip. The powerful forces generated in the course of braking, accelerating, or turning are enough to cause great bodily harm. Not to mention, if the van gets into an accident, an improperly secured passenger may be violently thrown from his or her wheelchair and suffer a wrongful death.

Both transportation services and their employees have a legal duty to use reasonable care to prevent all avoidable passenger injuries. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s highly experienced lawyers are qualified to investigate the circumstances that led to your wheelchair transport accident. Whether your non-strap injuries resulted from irresponsible ambulette attendants, faulty restraint equipment, a defective passenger securement system, the policies of the transport company, or the chair itself, our elite attorneys will determine the exact cause of your accident. Our seasoned litigators have the proficiency and skills necessary to ensure that negligent parties are brought to justice. If our investigation establishes that your injuries resulted from another’s inattention, you may be entitled to compensation for all present and future hospital bills, physical therapy costs, lost wages from missed work, loss of enjoyment, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and any other unforeseen losses.

The faster that you retain the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s industry-leading litigators, the sooner we can begin gathering key evidence and begin building a highly persuasive claim. After nearly 25 years of fighting for injured victims, Jed Dietrich, Esq. has developed a strong reputation for obtaining the maximum compensation for clients in Buffalo, New York, and beyond. Jed Dietrich, Esq. sincerely cares about each client and promises to always treat you with the respect that you deserve. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s veteran attorneys are available twenty-four-seven to discuss your wheelchair transport injuries. The best part is that there is never a fee until we get you PAID! Please call us today at 716-839-3939.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!