Ambulance Recall Announced
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton personal injury lawyer. Product recalls because of potential problems can be worrisome but even more so when the recall involves ambulances. A February ambulance recall could increase the danger to patients who are being transported to a hospital.
Ambulance Calls
Ambulances are called for a variety of reasons that include responding to motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks, strokes and severe asthma attacks. In addition, individuals are transported to a hospital when they suffer a spinal injury or have a slip and fall accident. The community depends on emergency responders and rescue vehicles to help them arrive at a hospital where life-saving methods can be used.
Halcore AEV Traumahawk Ambulance Recall
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration was notified in February of a recall by Halcore of certain 2017 models of their AEV Traumahawk due to a problem with its battery isolator module under the name Vanner. According to the company, the module might overheat, causing a failure of the equipment and increasing the risk of a fire in the vehicle. A schedule to handle the ambulance recall has not been announced yet, neither has the number of potentially affected vehicles. The NHTSA is encouraging owners to contact them at 1-888-327-4236, or visit safercar.gov for more information.
Previous Ambulance Recalls
Recalls for defective parts in ambulances are nothing new. In 2013, Ford recalled one/third of its ambulances in operation in Texas due to defects in some of the sensors. According to Ford, the defect had been responsible for engine failure in some vehicles and could keep the engines from starting in others. Thousands of ambulances were recalled in 2015 because of faulty sensors that could cause the ambulances to stall. If an ambulance stalled due to this defect, the driver would have to wait for the indicator light for an overheated engine to go off before restarting the vehicle.
Product Liability
Under product liability law, injuries or deaths caused by dangerous or defective products can be compensated for from the responsible parties. This may include the manufacturer of the product, the store that sold it, the parts manufacturer, wholesaler, installer or assembler. When the defective product affects an ambulance, it can make a difference in the patient’s outcome and further endangers a life already in crisis.
Risks of Ambulance Delays and Fires
Other issues might come up when a rescue vehicle is involved. A fire from an overheated battery could carry the risk of burns to a person being transported. In addition, medical equipment, including oxygen tanks in the ambulance, could be destroyed or cause an explosion. Even if the person could be evacuated from the ambulance, there would be little the ambulance crew could do to help them until a backup ambulance arrived. This could endanger the person’s life.
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Personal Injury Lawyers in Stockton
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton personal injury lawyer. Traumatic events can be worsened when emergency vehicles break down, delaying medical treatment. If you or a loved one has been injured, please phone me for free, friendly advice at (209) 227-1931 in Stockton. My toll-free number is (800) 404-5400, or you can access our user-friendly contact form online.
Northern California and Stockton residents know that I can be counted on as an injury lawyer to provide advice and experienced help when seeking compensation for their injuries. Whether it’s a serious accident such as a brain injury or the loss of a loved one because of a wrongful death, my law firm is there with you every step of the way to ensure you receive the maximum compensation allowed.
Reading comments by former clients can be useful information when seeking legal representation: Mine are located at:
Verdicts and Settlements, located on my website at AutoAccident.com offers information about some of our previous cases and how they were handled.
Million Dollar Advocates is an online forum reserved for trial attorneys who have won million dollar verdicts or settlements for clients. I belong to this group as a member of California.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/ambulance-rescue-emergency-118-2901017/
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