Staff within Ireland’s fire service place their lives in danger every time they respond to an emergency call. If you have chosen to become a firefighter, you undoubtedly are aware of the risks that are involved in carrying out your duties. However, just like any other profession, your employer has a duty of care to ensure you are protected against accidents and injuries that are entirely avoidable. If you feel you have suffered an avoidable injury in the course of your duties, it may be possible to instigate a firefighter injury claim against your employer. An experienced firefighter injury lawyer will be able to help you determine if you have a case.
Fire brigades in Ireland respond to many different types of dangerous scenarios including house fires, industrial accident scenes, chemical and hazardous spills, building inspections, and road accidents. It’s possible to sustain entirely avoidable injuries, whilst on route to emergency incidents, or even at the scene of the accident that you have attended. If you think this applies to you, you may be able to instigate a claim for compensation.
Instigating a claim for negligence
Employees of fire brigade services are the same as many other emergency service workers, such as paramedics and Gardaí, in that they place their lives on the line to help keep others safe. Those who become firefighters understand that there is a multitude of unpredictable scenarios where it is impossible for an employer to safeguard their staff from harm’s way. For example, the possibility of colliding with an irresponsible car driver, on route to an accident, is something that employers can do little to mitigate beyond adequate levels of advanced driver training.
However, just because emergency service staff deal with dangerous scenarios as part of their daily duties, this does not mean that firefighters do not have the same rights as everyone else to a work environment that protects their safety to a high standard. Should a firefighter be injured due to an incident that could have been prevented, it’s possible that a claim for negligence could be instigated.
Scenarios, where you may have a basis to instigate a firefighter accident claim, include:
- An injury sustained in a road traffic accident caused by negligent driving (either on the part of the person driving the response vehicle or by a third party)
- An injury sustained at the scene of the accident caused by a malicious actor (for example, a person under the influence of drink or drugs or a person engaged in criminal activity)
- An injury sustained during unsafe training exercises
- An injury sustained due to faulty equipment or equipment that had not been inspected or checked properly
- Failure by your employer to recognise symptoms of PTSD resulting from an extreme experience on the job
- Failure to properly deal with harassment or bullying claims.
There are likely to be many other types of scenarios where you can legitimately bring a claim for negligence. Speak to one of our specialist solicitors today for further advice.
About McCarthy + Co
With more than 30 years of experience in dealing with personal injury claims, McCarthy + Co. has expertise in a wide variety of fields including emergency services related accidents. We are a family-run business, and we pride ourselves on offering honest, impartial, and helpful advice.
Our offices are based in Dublin and Cork, but we work with clients throughout Ireland in locations ranging from Galway to Waterford. You can count on us for legal advice, guidance, and assistance on any form of personal injury.
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Firefighter Injury Claims
If you are a firefighter and you have suffered an avoidable injury whilst on duty, get in touch with our specialist firefighter injury lawyers today to make a start on your claim or gather more information. Call us on 1800 390 555 and an experienced member of staff will discuss your situation and potential next steps. You can also email on info@mccarthy.ie and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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