If your collision was caused by an emergency vehicle, you may still be entitled to compensation if you’ve been injured due to negligence.
According to Missouri state law, if you are the victim of a car accident, you are generally entitled to compensation from the at-fault party. However, proving liability is not simple if the other party is an emergency vehicle.
Emergency vehicles include ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, and similar cars. Their purpose is to respond to critical situations and provide aid. Because these matters are often very time-sensitive, legally speaking, emergency vehicles do not have to respect ordinary traffic regulations when responding to an emergency.
Chris Hoffman is an excellent attorney. He is the best above the rest. What makes him different? He communicates promptly - I don't have to leave message after message for him to reach out to me. When I telephone his office, if he doesn't answer the telephone, his assistant does. Chris Hoffman is very attentive and focused. He means business, and he hit the ground running on the cases. I'm so blessed to have him for my attorney.
"Of all the lawyers I have met, this one is a true professional. This attorney goes against the biggest law firms and wins!"
Response from the owner:The compliment is much appreciated. Like every profession, it all starts with training our lawyers to be the best at every aspect of car accident cases. But the foundation of a great case is a great client. Thanks!
I'd say this lawyer is in the top three of the best you'll ever see. Add this attorney to the interview list if you ever get in an automobile accident. This Law Firm is on another level.
Response from the owner:Much appreciated. Techniques that an attorney or any professional uses are paramount for success. This is part of our lawyers training and preparation. It leads to success. Thank you!
People say this is the best car accident lawyer in St.Louis. Yep! Seeing this attorney in action is incredible.
Response from the owner:Great compliment. We work hard to be the best. Our lawyers also work very hard to help other lawyers in our profession. Not matter what, a cases is only as good as the client is. Thanks!
Response from the owner:Thanks! Referrals and recommendations from prior car accident clients is our #1 source of cases. People who grew to trust us send family and friends.
The Hoffman law firm is truly professional. After hiring them I was truly relieved and knew I was in good hands. Highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Being in good hands is important. Many lawyers take cases with little experience and little resources. Our firm specialized decades ago. We are focused exclusively on accident cases.
The lawyers on tv just dont compare for auto accident injury cases. Mr.Hoffmann is as good as they get.
Response from the owner:Thank you. The TV attorneys are just settlement mills. People are hiring a paralegal, not a lawyer. Our law firm is different. You are represented by an attorney and we do not have settlement quotas.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner:TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner:Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner:This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner:Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner:Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner:Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner:Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
The Responsibilities of the Other Driver
Legally, drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to police, fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles when these are using a siren. When drivers hear these signals and see the emergency vehicles in the rear mirror, they must pull over to the right edge of the road or as near the right as possible. If at an intersection, vehicles must drive through it and then pull over. Cars will remain in position until the emergency vehicles pass.
Emergency vehicles have the right of way, but only when they use sirens or air horns, which signals that they are responding to a critical situation and must proceed rapidly. If not, these vehicles must respect the traffic regulations like any other driver.
By that logic, two different situations can arise: being hit by an emergency vehicle while in action and being hit by one under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, liability and asking for compensation can be tricky in each case.
The Penalties for the Drivers Who Don’t Respect the Law
We have laws to keep people safe. The rules on the road sometimes seem more strict, but that’s because the risk of unpleasant incidents is quite high.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the state had a 75% injury rate per 100 million miles traveled in 2015 and a 1.2% death rate that same year. The data shows that these rates fluctuate considerably from year to year. That’s because legislation changes to keep up with the times and make these accidents less frequent.
One such rule of law is Missouri’s “Slow Down, Move Over” provision, created in 2002 and expended in 2012. Its goal is to provide a safer way of passage for emergency vehicles such as police cars or ambulances, which are often required to ignore traffic regulations to respond to emergencies.
What Does the Law Say?
In a nutshell, drivers in Missouri must approach emergency vehicles cautiously whenever they display the red and blue lighting, signaling their active duty. The same principle applies to drivers approaching vehicles owned by the state highways and transportation commission. Drivers must change lanes away from the signaling car on a multi-lane road, but only if they can safely do so. If not, they must slow down to a safe speed to avoid disturbing traffic.
Penalties
According to the Missouri statutes, breaking the Slow Down, Move Over law is automatically considered a Class A Misdemeanor.
If the violation is classified as a Class A Misdemeanor, the state imposes some standard penalties, though you should know that the context of the accident can influence the final sentence. Assuming no victims are involved and the driver’s only offense is breaking the Move Over law, the driver will receive a fine that will not exceed two thousand dollars and can even expect to spend up to one year in jail.
As you can see, breaking this law has some of the most severe penalties from the entire misdemeanor category. The reason behind these harsh punishments is to prevent drivers from disregarding moving emergency vehicles. Because of their line of work, police cars, ambulances, or fire trucks generally travel at very high speeds. As such, the impact of a collision can have even greater consequences than under other reasonable circumstances.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
If you are the victim of a collision with an emergency vehicle or a negligent driver, you should know that the steps to take are similar to those in an auto accident. Stop the car, get out, check for injured parties, call authorities, and await their arrival.
The matters get tricky from here, so you should consider hiring an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney to represent you.
In any case, the victim bears the burden of proving negligence. Your St. Louis car accident attorney must acquire the evidence showing that the collision occurred because of driver negligence.
Even if the collision was caused by an emergency vehicle, you still have the right to compensation if you’ve been injured due to the other driver’s negligence. Call us today at (314) 361-4242 to learn more about what you may be entitled to.
Why Choose Us over TV Lawyers?
Direct Attorney Access (24/7)
Maximum Compensation Focus
Trial-Ready Cases
Team-Based Handling
Volume-Driven Timelines
Less Trial Preparation Emphasis
Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!
