Hit by an Ambulance in Miami

Ambulances in Miami-Dade County are operated by a mix of public and private entities — Miami-Dade Fire Rescue runs many of the public ambulances, while AMR (American Medical Response), Falck, and other private EMS contractors run the rest. The legal rules that apply to your case depend on who owned the ambulance and who employed the driver, because crashes involving public ambulances trigger Florida's sovereign-immunity statute while crashes involving private EMS providers proceed under ordinary tort rules.

Public vs. Private Ambulance — Why It Matters

• Public ambulances (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, City of Miami Fire-Rescue, municipal services) are subject to Florida Statute § 768.28: pre-suit notice required, $200,000-per-person / $300,000-per-incident damage cap, no punitive damages, and a three-year statute of limitations.
• Private contracted ambulances (AMR, Falck, smaller transport services) are typically liable as ordinary commercial defendants — full damages available, no caps, two-year statute of limitations, and substantial commercial liability coverage.

In some Miami-Dade situations the lines blur — a private ambulance contractor providing services under contract to a public agency can sometimes claim derivative sovereign immunity. The factual question of which rules apply is often litigated and depends on the specific contract and ownership structure of the ambulance involved.

Florida's Emergency Vehicle Privileges

Florida Statute § 316.072(5) gives ambulance drivers responding to emergencies certain privileges — proceeding past stop signals, exceeding speed limits when not endangering life or property, and disregarding direction-of-movement regulations. These privileges apply only when (a) the driver is using audible and visual signals (with limited exceptions) and (b) the driver continues to drive with "due regard" for the safety of all persons. Reckless or grossly negligent emergency-response driving — running through a busy intersection without looking, or maintaining excessive speed in a school zone — falls outside the statutory privileges.

If You Were a Patient in the Ambulance

A separate set of issues arises if you were being transported as a patient when the ambulance crashed. Patient-transport injury cases can include claims for ordinary crash injuries plus medical-malpractice-style claims if EMS personnel caused or worsened your injuries by negligent care during the transport.

Evidence to Preserve

• The dispatch recording and CAD record
• The ambulance's onboard data — speed, brakes, light/siren activation
• Any in-cab and exterior camera footage
• Patient care report (PCR), if you were a patient
• The driver's qualification and prior-incident file
• The dispatch and route history

If you have been hit by an ambulance in Miami-Dade or Broward County, contact the Law Offices of Albert Goodwin quickly — sovereign-immunity notice deadlines apply if the ambulance was a public vehicle. Call 786-522-1411 or email [email protected] for a free consultation.