Ambulance Accident Attorney in San Antonio

Ambulance Injury Claims Are Complicated. We Make the Process Simple.

Motor vehicle accidents can be traumatic, and the road to recovery can feel that much more daunting when an ambulance is involved. Issues like liability and compensation can get complicated depending on whether the ambulance was privately owned or operated by a government agency, whether you were a passenger of the ambulance or driving another vehicle, and what “emergency privileges” may apply. If you or someone you love was involved in an ambulance accident in San Antonio, and you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone—and you don't have to face the recovery process by yourself. 

At The Warrior Law Firm, we offer personalized legal support to help you through these challenging times. Led by founding attorney, Luis Guerrero, our team provides transparent, easy-to-understand guidance, simplifying complex legal concepts and jargon so that you can stay informed. We know that this is a stressful time; our goal is to reduce the stress of filing a personal injury or wrongful death claim, allowing you to focus on healing and moving forward. 

Whether you were being transported in an ambulance, were working as an ambulance driver, or were injured as a pedestrian, cyclist, or the occupant of another vehicle, our San Antonio ambulance accident lawyers can help. Contact us today at (210) 598-5006 to get started with a free, no-obligation consultation. 

Are Ambulance Accidents Common? 

Accidents involving ambulances (and emergency vehicles in general) are more common than many people realize. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the seven-year period from 2012 to 2018, there were 173 ambulance-involved accidents involving at least one fatality. In total, these crashes led to 199 deaths, amounting to an average 28 ambulance-involved traffic fatalities each year. 

The same report found that there were an estimated 9,922 ambulance accidents resulting in injuries during the same seven-year span, as well as an estimated 33,811 ambulance accidents that led only to property damage. On average, an estimated 2,504 people are injured every year in ambulance accidents, and most of these people are the occupants of other vehicles. 

According to the NHTSA's report: 

• About 54.4% of those injured in ambulance accidents were in another vehicle 
• About 26.8% of those injured were ambulance passengers 
• About 18.8% were ambulance operators 

Although data are limited, the report also found that it is more likely for an ambulance to be involved in a crash when it is in “emergency operation,” whether or not emergency warning equipment (e.g., sirens and lights) is in use. About 59% of the estimated ambulance-involved injury accidents from 2012 to 2018 involved an ambulance that was in emergency operation.  

How Do Ambulance Accidents Happen? 

Like any other driver, ambulance operators are subject to the same distractions, driving errors, and mistakes in judgment that so often lead to accidents. To make matters worse, ambulance drivers are often required to travel at high speeds and in hazardous conditions, such as navigating busy intersections against traffic lights or slowing—but not stopping—at stop signs. In Texas, ambulance operators are required to obtain a specialized ambulance endorsement or certificate, but this does not guarantee complete and utter safety on the road. 

Emergency vehicles, like ambulances, have what are commonly referred to as “emergency privileges,” meaning they are allowed to speed, run red lights, and break some traffic laws when responding to a call. However, they still have a duty to operate safely and avoid causing harm. Accidents can happen when that line is crossed.

Some of the most common causes of ambulance crashes include:

• Failing to use signals or lights when in emergency operation 
• Speeding through intersections without enough warning
• Distracted driving, including using radios or navigation equipment
• Fatigue, often from working long or overnight shifts
• Inadequate driver training or inexperience
• Unsafe passing or lane changes
• Failing to yield or stop when required
• Equipment failure 
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs

Because ambulances are large, heavy vehicles, and because they often travel at high rates of speed, they tend to cause significant damage, catastrophic injuries, and even fatalities when they collide with other vehicles, pedestrians, or structures along the road. Survivors may experience devastating, life-altering injuries, such as blunt force trauma, internal bleeding, head and neck injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe burns or bone fractures, amputation, crush injuries, and more. In the most tragic of cases, families lose someone they love because of an accident that could have been prevented.

What Makes Ambulance Accident Cases So Complicated? 

In Texas, when someone is injured in a traffic accident caused by negligence, such as distracted driving, they have the right to file a claim against the at-fault driver's auto insurance provider (or a personal injury lawsuit against the driver) and seek compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other losses, or “damages.” While these cases are rarely simple, those involving ambulances can be especially complicated for a variety of reasons.

Liability: Who Is Responsible for Your Damages? 

Determining who is liable and, therefore, responsible for paying your damages after a crash with an ambulance is usually not as straightforward as it is in other types of car accidents. This is because, in Texas, ambulances may be owned and/or operated by several different parties. 

In San Antonio, it's common to see ambulances operated by: 

• Private companies 
• City, county, or public emergency medical services (EMS)
• Hospitals or healthcare networks 
• Fire departments 

If the ambulance is publicly owned, certain legal protections known as “sovereign immunity” laws may limit who you can sue and how much you can recover. There are also strict notice and filing deadlines for claims involving government agencies, so it's important to not only be aware of these time limits but also to work with an experienced ambulance accident attorney in San Antonio who can help you navigate the filing process. 

Shared Fault in Ambulance Accident Cases 

Another thing that can make ambulance accidents complicated, especially when it comes to determining liability, is the issue of shared fault. There's often more than one party involved, and figuring out who was at fault can be challenging. 

Depending on the circumstances, any of the following parties may share some of the blame: 

• The ambulance driver or their employer
• The company that owns or operates the ambulance
• A hospital or healthcare system 
• A city or county agency (public EMS)
• Vehicle or equipment manufacturers 
• Other drivers and third parties 

In a typical car accident, you might be dealing with just one at-fault driver and their insurance company. But when an ambulance is involved, it’s not just about the driver. It’s about who owns the ambulance, who employs the driver, who was responsible for maintenance, and whether the people providing care inside were doing their jobs properly.

Emergency Privileges for First Responder Vehicles 

Ambulances are allowed to do things other vehicles are not. Texas law gives emergency vehicles the right to speed, go through red lights, and ignore some traffic signals—but only when they’re responding to an emergency and properly using their lights and sirens. This is known as having “emergency privileges.”

But here’s the important part: even when ambulance drivers are using those privileges, they still have a legal responsibility to drive with care. That means they can’t drive recklessly or ignore the safety of others on the road. For example, an ambulance can legally run a red light, but only if they slow down enough to make sure the intersection is clear. They’re not allowed to blow through it at full speed and hope for the best. If they do, and someone gets hurt, the driver (or their employer) can still be held responsible.

This is a common issue in ambulance accident cases. A lot of people assume that because it was an emergency vehicle, no one can be held accountable, but that’s not true. Emergency privileges give ambulance drivers some legal leeway—not a free pass.

At The Warrior Law Firm, our San Antonio ambulance accident lawyers know how to investigate these kinds of crashes and determine whether the driver was following proper emergency protocols. We often work alongside accident reconstruction experts and review EMS dispatch records, GPS data, and onboard cameras to find out what really happened. If the driver failed to use reasonable caution, even during an emergency, they can be held liable for the harm they caused.

Your Location During the Crash

Where you were when you were injured plays a role in the complexity of your case. Specifically, if you were a passenger in the ambulance, you could have a personal injury case even if there was no crash. Ambulances aren't just for transportation; they're mobile medical units, and the paramedics and EMTs inside have a duty to care for you, keep you safe, and do everything possible to make sure your condition doesn't get worse during the ride. When that doesn't happen, and you're injured as a result, it can lead to liability and grounds for recovery. 

Here are some common ways patients get hurt inside an ambulance:

• Speeding or Reckless Driving: Even if there’s no collision, sharp turns, sudden braking, or excessive speed can throw a patient from a stretcher or cause serious internal injuries.
• Improper or Missing Restraints: Patients should always be secured with safety straps and restraints. If they aren’t, they can be tossed around during transport, especially in an accident.
• Rough Handling By EMTs or Paramedics: If the crew mishandles a stretcher, drops a patient, or provides poor care during the ride, they can often be held accountable.
• Failure to Monitor or Treat a Medical Condition: If the ambulance crew failed to monitor your vitals, administer necessary medication, or respond to a medical emergency during the ride, that may count as medical negligence.
• Faulty Equipment or Missing Supplies: If the ambulance didn’t have the tools it needed, or if something malfunctioned and made your condition worse, that could be another form of negligence.

These cases are more complex than a typical car accident. That’s because they may involve both personal injury and medical malpractice law, depending on what went wrong. The ambulance crew isn’t just driving you. They’re providing medical care, and if they fail to do that safely, you may have the right to seek compensation for what you went through.

Insurance Issues: Which Policy Applies?

One of the biggest roadblocks people face after an ambulance accident is dealing with insurance. These cases are rarely straightforward because ambulance services, whether public or private, often have multiple insurance policies in place, each with its own rules, limits, and responsibilities. Figuring out which one applies to your situation isn’t easy.

Here’s what makes it complicated:

• Multiple Types of Coverage: In Texas, ambulance providers typically carry commercial auto insurance, general liability insurance, and, sometimes, professional liability (malpractice) insurance. If you were injured in a crash with an ambulance, your auto insurance or the ambulance's auto coverage may apply. But if you were harmed because of poor medical care during transport, professional liability coverage might come into play. And if something else went wrong, like a fall caused by faulty equipment, it could involve yet another policy. Knowing which policy to pursue (or whether more than one applies) takes careful investigation.
• Government Involvement: If the ambulance was operated by a city or county EMS agency, it might be covered by a government self-insurance program instead of a traditional insurance company. These programs often have lower coverage limits and strict procedural rules, including very short deadlines for filing a claim. You may also face caps on how much you can recover. These policies aren’t always clearly laid out, and government agencies don’t always make it easy to find the right information.
• Insurance Companies Deflecting Responsibility: When more than one party might be responsible—for example, the driver, the ambulance company, and a hospital—each insurance company may try to shift the blame onto someone else to avoid paying. This can cause delays and make it harder for you to get answers or a fair settlement without the help of an experienced ambulance accident lawyer in San Antonio. 
• Passenger Status and Coverage: If you were a patient or EMT riding inside the ambulance, your own personal auto insurance might not apply at all. And while the ambulance company should have coverage for its passengers, those policies might not fully cover the extent of your injuries, especially if they try to argue they weren’t at fault. This is why it's so important to have an attorney by your side who can advocate for you against the interests of the insurance company. 
• Policy Limits and Exclusions: Some insurance policies include special exceptions for emergency situations or limits on coverage when certain conditions are met. For example, a policy might deny coverage if the driver wasn’t officially “on duty” or if proper emergency signals (like lights and sirens) weren’t used. These small details can make a big difference in whether an insurer agrees to pay your claim.

All of this means that recovering compensation after an ambulance accident isn’t just about proving who caused the crash; it’s also about knowing how insurance works, which policies apply, and how to negotiate with multiple insurers who may not want to cooperate. This is where we come in. At The Warrior Law Firm, we know how these cases work, and we know how to aggressively pursue every possible avenue to maximize your recovery. 

Recovering Compensation After an Ambulance Accident in San Antonio

Although your case may be complicated, remember: You have the right to seek compensation for your injuries and other damages after an ambulance accident. If someone else—whether it was the driver of the ambulance, another motorist, or some other third party—was negligent, and this is what caused the accident that led to your injuries, you are entitled to a fair financial recovery.

This may include compensation for:

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost wages/income
• Loss of future earning ability
• Pain and suffering
• Disability or disfigurement
• Emotional distress
• Funeral and burial costs, in wrongful death cases

The exact amount depends on what happened, how serious your injuries are, and who was at fault, among other factors. At The Warrior Law Firm, our San Antonio ambulance injury attorneys work with medical experts and investigators to build strong cases and demand full compensation for our clients.

How Our San Antonio Ambulance Accident Lawyers Can Help 

Being involved in any type of serious accident is scary and stressful. Knowing that ambulance accident cases are especially complicated can make the recovery process feel even more overwhelming. But you don't have to do it alone.

At The Warrior Law Firm, we help people how have been through traumatic accidents feel truly seen, heard, and supported. We take care of the legal side so that you can focus on getting better or taking care of your family. When you work with us, you can count on our team to investigate the crash and figure out what happened, who was at fault, and what steps to take next. We'll deal with the ambulance company, their lawyers, and their insurance companies, as well as handle all the paperwork and make sure everything is filed on time. Our team will explain everything, including your rights, in plain language and, most importantly, we'll fight to get the compensation you need. 

We offer completely free consultations and only get paid if we win your case. There is no financial risk to you when you hire our firm, and zero upfront or out-of-pocket costs. If you or someone you love was involved in an ambulance accident in San Antonio or any of the surrounding areas, reach out to The Warrior Law Firm today and learn how we can go to battle for you.

Call us today at (210) 598-5006 for a free case review. We're ready to listen and help you figure out what comes next.