First Responder Injuries

First Responders are the people who attend emergency situations and put their lives on the line to protect the public. Police, firefighters, and EMTs all face serious hazards to their safety while they care for others. Unfortunately, doing so puts their lives on the line, and puts first responders at risk of long lasting injuries. First responders lawsuits, including personal injury lawsuits can be filed if their injury was caused by a lack of proper training, negligence, or inadequate policies and procedures.

First responders including police, firefighters, and EMTs— are frequently put into hazardous situations while they carry out their job duties. In some cases, those hazardous situations are the result of the emergency itself, such as a building being on fire, or a car accident on a major highway. In other cases, the situations become hazardous thanks to a lack of proper training or failure to provide adequate safety gear.

As a result, first responders could face permanent, severe injuries including burns, back injuries, breathing problems, scarring and limited mobility. They could also face high medical bills and lack of ability to work.
  Perhaps the most infamous first responder lawsuits were those surrounding the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. The lawsuits involved more than 10,000 firefighters, police officers, and other New York City workers who alleged they were not given proper protective gear for their work at the World Trade Center ruins. The lawsuit, which dragged on for seven years, alleged the plaintiffs developed respiratory and pulmonary illnesses, cancers, and other health problems linked to their exposure to toxins at the site. In the end, New York City agreed to pay at least $625 million to the plaintiffs.

In 2015, 10 first responders in Tennessee filed a lawsuit against CSX and Union Tank Car Company, alleging they were exposed to toxic chemicals when responding to a train derailment. The plaintiffs allege they were not warned about the toxic chemicals and were not provided any protective gear while they were in the evacuation zone. The first responders allege they developed breathing problems as a result.

In 2007, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that first responders could file a lawsuit against property owners if the property owner's negligence resulted in the first responder's injury.
 

First Responder Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered similar damages or injuries, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a personal injury lawyer who may evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
Last updated on Sep-14-20