Niagara Falls, New York, Wheelchair Transport Van Accidents Caused By Not Strapping Passengers In

Since the Start of His Legal Career Jed Dietrich, Esq. has Aggressively and Tenaciously Represented Personal Injury Victims. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s Litigators will Make Every Possible Effort to Obtain the Highest Damages for the Harm You Have Suffered Because of the Wheelchair Van Staff’s Failure to Fasten Your Harnesses in Niagara Falls, New York.

Fortunately, there are many wheelchair-accessible things to do around Niagara Falls, such as the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour, Cave of the Winds, or riding a trolley through the park. Additionally, tens of thousands of local and visiting wheelchair users employ ambulettes and wheelchair vans to get around. These vehicles are specially designed to accommodate passengers who are unable to sit on normal car seats. Wheelchair vans have designated areas where wheelchairs can be fastened to the vehicle’s floor and enable passengers to use their wheelchairs as seats throughout the drive. Wheelchair transport attendants must handle and secure all passengers before bringing them to their destinations. When attendants perform their duties negligently or fail to use reasonable care, passengers can suffer devastating injuries or worse.

According to a report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one of the main reasons wheelchair users are often injured is because of transport employees’ unsuitable or partial employment of lap and shoulder belts. Improperly secured ambulette passengers can easily be hurled out of their wheelchairs or fall to the ground. Furthermore, if a wheelchair is not tied down, it could flip or tip over. Unfortunately, victims of wheelchair van accidents are often forced to cope with challenging physical, psychological, and monetary problems. For instance, injuries resulting from not being strapped in place can significantly exacerbate existing medical conditions. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s compassionate team understands that no amount of money can take away your pain. However, monetary compensation can reduce your financial burdens and pay for vital medical treatments. Pursuing a personal injury case against the responsible wheelchair transportation service may be the only way for you to start recovering.

Jed Dietrich, Esq. has exclusively litigated serious personal injury cases for the last 24 years. Jed Dietrich, Esq. has battled to obtain well over $175 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients in Niagara Falls, New York, throughout Niagara County, and beyond. Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his brilliant team of attorneys are proud to have helped thousands of accident victims and their families get back on their feet again after suffering brutal injuries. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s battle-tested litigators offer confidential, complimentary lawsuit evaluations and consultations. We would love to discuss your case and determine a first-class legal solution for you. Our leading attorneys are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (716) 839-3939 or by filling out theonline consultation form. The best part is that you will never pay for our exclusive litigation services until we WIN your lawsuit!

Most wheelchair van passenger injuries could easily be prevented if only staff implemented acceptable strapping techniques and followed basic safety precautions. Properly strapping a wheelchair down is the most crucial step in keeping wheelchair passengers safe throughout the drive. An investigation conducted regarding the safety of wheelchair passengers analyzed the level of expertise that wheelchair users and various healthcare professionals, such as doctors, therapists, and caregivers, had regarding wheelchair transportation safety. The study uncovered insufficient levels of awareness about wheelchair transport safety procedures. More than two-thirds of the wheelchair users and roughly 50 percent of healthcare personnel surveyed were not properly trained on the best practices for transporting wheelchair passengers. Less than 7 percent of the participants knew about the established safety standards regarding ambulettes and wheelchairs designed for transit. Some important design and performance safety recommendations for wheelchair tie-downs and occupant restraint systems (WTORS) developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) include:

1. Provide stable mechanisms for fastening all of the wheelchairs to the floor of the van, like tie-down straps;
2. These systems should provide clear labels and warnings, as necessary;
3. Tie-downs should provide specific instructions for adequately securing the wheelchair to the van;
4. Vans should include both pelvic and shoulder harnesses for all of the passengers; and
5. All restraints and harnesses should be able to pass a 30-mile-per-hour (MPH) frontal impact crash test.

Additionally, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) and American National Standard Institute (ANSI) established standards to ensure wheelchairs were tough enough and had the necessary safety features to transport users, such as providing passengers with crash-tested lap belts, using four tie-down points to secure every wheelchair, and focusing on lateral stability.

Under New York law, wheelchair transportation service providers and their drivers are legally obligated to ensure passengers remain unharmed. This duty includes both securing the wheelchair to the van and strapping passengers inside their chairs. Suppose that you, or someone you know, suffered severe injuries because an ambulette driver irresponsibly failed to fasten your lap belt, and it resulted in you being thrown out of your wheelchair. In that case, the Dietrich Law Firm’s zealous litigators would like to help you. Our seasoned attorneys will do everything possible to obtain the maximum compensation for all of your economic and non-economic damages. Depending on your losses, you may be entitled to recover compensation for the following:

1. Charges associated with the emergency room treatment for the injuries caused by your wheelchair not being secured inside of the ambulette;
2. Present and future medical treatment costs related to the accident, such as physical therapy, prescription medications, and mobility aids;
3. Lost profits or wages and other job-related benefits from being unable to work;
4. Reduced earning capacity if your injuries have affected your ability to perform your career or impaired your future job prospects;
5. Pain and suffering caused by your wounds, as well as necessary medical treatments and recovery;
6. Further disabilities and disfigurements suffered;
7. Loss of consortium and decrease in the overall quality of your life; and
8. All other unanticipated losses that resulted from the wheelchair transport company’s negligence, such as severe emotional distress.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s leading lawyers have effectively negotiated and tried multi-million-dollar lawsuits against various nursing homes, hospitals, non-emergency medical transportation services, and wheelchair transportation companies. Our veteran litigators are highly skilled at connecting wheelchair passenger injuries to particular negligent actions and inactions by transport services and their employees. We promise to employ the most successful litigation tactics and strategies to ensure that justice prevails. Jed Dietrich, Esq. would be honored to discuss your wheelchair van accident claim in detail. Please contact our elite lawyers today at (716) 839-3939 or by completing the online consultation form for your free, no-obligation case evaluation and consultation. We are hard-hitting, tenacious, and systematic personal injury lawyers who will not rest until you obtain every dollar that you deserve!    

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 Niagara Falls, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!