People throughout Georgia rely on medical transportation vehicles to get to and from medical checkups and treatment appointments. Often, the people who use medical transportation vehicles are disabled or elderly, and when medical transport drivers are careless, passengers suffer serious injuries.
Driving too fast
In many cases, medical transport drivers are rushing to get their passengers to their appointments and then pick up other passengers. When drivers try to drive too fast, they may have to stop short at red lights, which can be dangerous for passengers with disabilities. A sudden stop can be similar to an impact, especially for passengers who are unable to brace themselves.
Driving too fast can also put passengers at risk of being involved in a car crash. Even minor car accidents can cause whiplash and head injuries that can be devastating for patients who are in frail health. Some elderly patients have weak bones that can break more easily than younger patients’ bones.
Failure to secure passengers
Besides driving too fast, another common mistake that medical transport drivers make is failing to secure passengers properly. Patients who are in wheelchairs need to be securely belted in place so that their wheelchairs do not slide around. If a patient is not properly secured in their seat before a ride, a sudden stop or collision can be even worse than normal.
Both ways of securing wheelchair passengers need to happen to keep passengers safe: 1) secure the wheelchair itself and 2) secure the passenger in the wheelchair. Also, if a wheelchair or passenger is not properly secured, other passengers could be hurt if the unsecured passenger falls on them.
Compensation for medical transportation injuries
If you or a loved one was injured while riding in a medical transport vehicle, you may be able to file a personal injury claim for financial compensation. The driver of a medical transportation vehicle has a duty to properly secure passengers and drive safely. When a driver fails to do these things, the medical transport company may be held liable for any injuries that result.