Texans should know that all motorists, including police officers, have a duty to exercise due caution on the road. Sometimes special circumstances arise, such as a high-speed police pursuit, and the risk of injury is increased exponentially for all parties involved. But no matter what a driver’s job is, he or she may be liable for damages of both person and property if negligence is shown to be the cause of a car accident.
With these issues in mind, readers in Dallas may be interested to hear of a police officer in nearby Cleburne who was seriously injured during an emergency law enforcement call last month. With lights flashing and siren blaring, the officer was racing to an emergency situation when a car apparently pulled out in front of him.
Two other cruisers were also responding to the call, and a Dashcam video shows the now injured officer’s car in the lead. Then a cloud of dust appears in the video, obscuring the collision between the officer’s cruiser and the vehicle in front of him.
According to a local news report, the other driver was expected to recover, though the extent of his or her injuries wasn’t disclosed. The injured officer, however, suffered a broken leg and a broken neck. He has been hospitalized in Fort Worth for most of the month of May.
The local news report did not disclose the results of the accident investigation, so it isn’t clear yet who was at fault for the crash. In any case, Dallas residents who have been injured in a car accident should be aware of their rights under our state’s personal injury laws. When people are injured by reckless or negligent driving, no matter who the culprit is, the injured parties may have grounds to seek compensation for damages.
Source: WFAA, “Cleburne officer injured on the job grateful after surviving crash,” Monika Diaz, May 25, 2012
