Air Ambulance and Medical Helicopter Crash Lawyers

Air ambulances and medical helicopters are often a necessity to pick up patients when no other mode of transportation can reach individuals in crisis. When seconds matter, medical helicopters can sometimes save lives by saving a significant amount of time when compared to ground ambulances. These types of emergency medical services are often utilized at night or during bad weather, however, which can make flying a helicopter even more hazardous.

In a medical emergency, pilots may feel extreme pressure to bring patients to a medical center by an air ambulance, medical helicopter, or medical transport plane as quickly as possible. An already devastating situation can quickly turn tragic if one of these aircraft experiences a crash or accident. In these cases, not only can patients suffer further injury or even death, but medical flight crew members and flight nurses can also experience severe injuries or fatalities.

The inherent risks of these flights have led federal agencies to study these crashes and recommend changes to improve passenger safety. During a 10-year period starting in 1993, these accidents claimed the lives of 72 passengers and left 64 more with injuries, some of which were significant. Despite a high number of fatalities and life-changing injuries to victims, additional requirements had not been implemented.

Then, in 2008, the job of EMS helicopter pilot was ranked as the most dangerous profession in America and was escalated to a public health crisis. During this year, there were 12 air ambulance helicopter crashes, which claimed the lives of 29 crew members and patients.

Ladd Sanger, a Partner at Slack Davis Sanger, is a licensed helicopter pilot with deep knowledge of helicopters and other types of aircraft. He is part of our team of helicopter accident attorneys, who present and write regularly on the topic of air medical safety, and are up to date on the latest rules and regulations.