$117 Million Verdict For Pregnant Victim of Ambulance Crash in Louisiana

An inattentive ambulance driver in Louisiana caused a motor vehicle accident that had devastating consequences for his passengers. A young, pregnant woman was being transported to a Lafayette hospital after experiencing pregnancy-related pain. The driver of the ambulance admits he took his eyes off the road to retrieve an item he dropped on the floor causing the ambulance crash into a sugar cane truck. The mother ended up in a coma for three months and her baby was delivered by emergency C-section. As a result of the accident injuries, the young woman is now confined to a wheelchair with severe injuries. Her baby survived but also suffers from accident-related injuries. During a lawsuit against the ambulance company, the driver admits he took his eyes off the road and the jury granted the mother $117 million. In addition to the newborn, the young woman has two additional children under the age of four. Inattentive driving, even if just taking your eyes off the road for a few seconds, is a leading cause of auto accidents in the U.S. Impaired driving, whether from drunk driving or fatigue, comes in second. Distractions include such activities as:

• Texting
• Talking on a cellphone
• Arguing with a passenger
• Eating
• Applying make-up

A car traveling at sixty miles an hour needs a minimum of four car lengths in order to avoid hitting anything if forced to stop suddenly. The amount of time needed to stop is five to seven seconds. When a driver is distracted or not paying attention to his or her driving, the lack of sufficient stopping time has devastating effects. Source: The Town Talk, "Jury awards $117 million to pregnant Louisiana woman injured in ambulance crash," August 3, 2012