Veteran Wheelchair Transportation Vans Failing to Strap in Passengers Injury Attorneys in Syracuse, New York

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. was Established in 2005 to Fight Exclusively for the Legal Rights of Those Who Have Suffered Severe Injuries Because of Someone Else’s Negligence. Jed Dietrich, Esq., and His Elite Team of Attorneys Promise to Demand the Highest Damages for the Harm Resulting from Your Improperly Restrained Wheelchair Transport Accident in Syracuse, New York.

In recent years, wheelchair-related injuries have seen a dramatic increase throughout the United States. One of the main reasons for this is disabled individuals increasing reliance on wheelchair transportation companies. Non-emergency medical van providers, such as United Access and Highland Patient Transport, are contracted throughout Syracuse, New York, to take wheelchair users to doctor’s appointments and other vital medical visits. Van attendants have a legal obligation to drive clients using reasonable care, which includes strapping both passengers and their chairs into vans. With numerous trips being made day after day, it is not surprising that staff can make crucial mistakes in securing passengers into place. Unfortunately, even the slightest oversight in anchoring a wheelchair to the floor can lead passengers to suffer devastating injuries.

The lives of too many wheelchair users are forever altered due to negligence by those who are supposed to be helping them. When considering that most injuries caused by not properly strapping passengers into wheelchair transport vans could be easily prevented with adequate attention by staff, these tragic accidents are inexcusable. Victims of an ambulette attendant’s carelessness must contact an attorney who is highly experienced at litigating these types of accidents. In just over 25 years of practicing exclusively personal injury law, Jed Dietrich, Esq. has obtained more than $175 million in judgments and settlements for injured clients in Syracuse, New York, throughout Onondaga County, and the rest of New York State.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s team contains some of the best and brightest legal minds in the country. Our lawyers are passionate about advocating for the rights of injury victims and refuse to allow another’s inattentiveness to destroy your way of life. We are not afraid to take on government entities, large multinational companies, or corporate defense teams in the name of justice. Jed Dietrich, Esq. and his battle-tested team are prepared to fight for you every step of the way to secure the compensation that you need to fully recover and live a good life. Our extreme dedication to surpassing your expectations and producing the finest outcome is what makes us industry leaders. The select lawyers at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. would be happy to provide you with a complimentary, no-obligation case evaluation. Our top rated attorneys are available 24 hours a day, every day of the week, by dialing 1-866-529-5334 or by completing the online consultation form. 

Many of the injuries suffered by wheelchair van passengers are caused by transporter negligence. Accidents attributed to wheelchairs tipping over and victims falling out of their chairs are responsible for roughly 65 to 80 percent of all wheelchair-related injuries treated in emergency departments across the country. Getting thrown out of a wheelchair when the ambulette is going 40 miles per hour is much easier than you would think, especially when transport attendants make careless mistakes in securing wheelchairs. For instance, taking the easy way out and attaching the restraints to the most accessible part of the chair. The 4-point strap system directs 2 straps to be fastened to the front of the wheelchair and 2 to the back. Otherwise, the chair can easily slide, tip over, or twist during the trip. Additionally, if the transport driver is forced to slam on the brakes, take a sharp turn, or swerve, it significantly amplifies the risk of a wheelchair passenger suffering devastating injuries. That is why it is imperative for transport personnel to properly strap in and secure both passengers and their chairs.

The most catastrophic harm suffered by wheelchair users is when they are left unrestrained and the ambulette driver crashes. The sheer force involved in a collision can easily cause an unrestrained wheelchair and its user to flip over violently. Many passengers who use van transport services are already suffering from disabilities, crippling injuries, debilitating illnesses, and other incapacitating health conditions that make walking impossible. Consequently, these individuals may be extremely vulnerable and unable to protect themselves when an accident occurs. Considering the risks involved with transporting wheelchair users, not properly strapping them inside the vehicle is simply reckless.

Many wheelchair users and their families pay good money for non-emergency medical transport companies to bring them to and from their destinations safely. As such, ambulette passengers have a reasonable expectation that they will not suffer any unnecessary harm. When a passenger is placed in a risky situation and endures injuries; as a result, those responsible should be held liable. For instance, some irresponsible or untrained transport attendants may buckle a passenger’s seatbelt across the armrests of the wheelchair. This simple oversight would prevent the seatbelt from resting across the passenger’s pelvis. In the event of an accident, the passenger could be severely injured if the force exerted against the seatbelt occurs in a fragile area, such as the rib cage. Non-emergency transportation attendants can be found negligent for failing to take the appropriate actions when required or for performing actions carelessly. The Dietrich Law Firm’s elite litigators will prove that the responsible party was negligent by showing the following:

1. Duty of Care: The transport service provider and its staff had a legal duty to get you to your endpoint without being harmed. This duty includes all aspects related to transporting wheelchair users, such as strapping the chair in place and proper placement of your seatbelt.
2. Breach of their Legal Obligation: The duty of care owed was breached by the transport attendant’s lack of concern for sufficiently restraining you and keeping your wheelchair in place.
3. Causation: The ambulette employee’s failure to secure you inside the vehicle directly resulted in your accident.
4. Real Harm: Consequently, you suffered genuine damages, such as broken bones, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or neck injuries, because your wheelchair was not properly secured.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s Syracuse, New York attorneys have seen the devastating aftermath that senseless wheelchair transport van no strap injuries can have on victims and, ultimately, their loved ones. Our concerned team urges you to contact us as soon as possible to protect your legal right to compensation. Jed Dietrich, Esq., commended as an American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorney, would love the opportunity to discuss your case in person or over the phone. We are highly experienced at linking passengers’ injuries to the actions and inactions of irresponsible wheelchair transport attendants. The best part is that the Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s seasoned lawyers take all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we do not make any money until we win your case. Schedule your free, confidential case evaluation today by calling 1-866-529-5334.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!