When you suffer an injury or succumb to an illness, you want to get to the hospital for medical attention, and you want to do it quickly. In such a situation, you’ll probably dial 911, wait for paramedics to arrive, and get transported to the hospital in their emergency vehicle. The question of the day is: “Are you being transported in an ambulance or an ambulette?” Also, does the difference matter?
What is an Ambulance?
By most accepted definitions, an ambulance is a vehicle used for emergency lifesaving transportation during a medical crisis. If your life is jeopardized due to your injury or illness, then you should be transported in an ambulance. For the most part, ambulances are equipped with sirens and red-and-blue pylons to let other motorists on the road know the vehicle is approaching and that they should make way.
What is an Ambulette?
An ambulette is a vehicle used to transport someone for medical treatment but not in a lifesaving situation. For the most part, ambulances are ambulettes, as they can be used to transport people in non-emergencies and without the need of sirens and pylons. Some ambulettes are different in that they are modified to be wheelchair accessible, such as a ramp, guardrails, or a motorized lift.
Does the Difference Between Ambulette & Ambulance Matter?
When someone is in a medical emergency – or just feeling in some sort of distress – they probably don’t care if the vehicle that picks them up is called an ambulette or an ambulance. However, if that vehicle is involved in a motor vehicle accident, it could matter whether the vehicle was involved in an emergency lifesaving matter, and using lights and sirens, or just engaged in routine transportation.
If you or a loved one is hurt as a result of the negligence of an ambulette or ambulance, you need an experienced law firm to navigate through the laws and regulations that the insurance companies for the ambulettes and ambulances will try to use to protect themselves.
At Koenigsberg & Associates Law Offices in Brooklyn, we have handled many of these ambulette and ambulance claims successfully. We will carefully investigate your claim, talk to the police and witnesses, research the conduct of the parties, and will work to recover your damages for pain and suffering, lost wages and medical bills. If you were hurt due to the negligence of an ambulette or ambulance, don’t leave your fate to chance, contact us immediately.
Call us at (718) 690-3132 to arrange a free case review with our law firm today. We take calls 24/7.