What are a person’s rights if they were the innocent victim of a high speed chase?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What are a person’s rights if they were the innocent victim of a high speed chase?
Local police engaged a high speed pursuit because the accused backed into a cruiser and drove off. Police knew who he was and where he lived. Accused ran a red light at speeds that reached 100 mph through an extremely busy intersection on a major roadway with police in pursuit. The chase continued for a few miles when he tried to pass traffic and was bumped by a van forcing it into oncoming traffic. He hitt a small car head on. The victim suffered life threatening injuries and will have a long recovery. Should they speak with a personal injury attorney. In Montgomery County, OH.
Asked on July 22, 2011 Ohio
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Yes, the victim should definitely speak with a personal injury attorney. Note that he or she will likely not be able to recover from the police, since there is, for public policy reasons, substantial immunity afforded the police from lawsuits for injuries caused, directly or indirectly, by them in the line of their duty, so long as they are not reckless or intentionally causing injury; however, it's worth pursuing. Furthermore, the victim may be able to sue and recover from the accused, so long as the accused has assets (e.g. savings, brokerage account, property) or a reasonable income to pay. (The accused's insurance, if any, will probably not cover, since it generally does not apply to criminal acts.) There may also be recourse to the victim's own uninsured/underinsured driver policy, if any.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.