April 20, 2015- Milford, Va.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a Caroline County Police deputy suffered non-life threatening injuries after being struck by a car.
The accident occurred around 7:00 AM this morning while the Deputy was directing traffic near Caroline High School in Milford.
The driver was subsequently charged with reckless driving related to the incident.
In Virginia, the “Move Over” law requires any drivers approaching an emergency vehicle that is displaying flashing, blinking or alternating blue, red or amber lights on a highway to either change lanes (on a four lane highway) or slow down (on a two lane highway). Failure to do so may result in reckless driving charges.
Despite this legislative effort to protect law enforcement officers tasked with roadside response, accidents like this are far too common. Every year, emergency responders are tragically killed or seriously injured by passing motorists.
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act provides specific protection for police officers who are injured on the job. Absent a misconduct defense, when a police officer is injured during the course of employment, that injury is compensable under the Act. So while the average worker must prove that the injury is related to their work, police officers and other public safety officers are covered by the presumption that their ailments are related to their work.
In a case like this one, where the deputy was injured on the job by a third party, he may be able to pursue both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim against the driver. The personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys at ReidGoodwin have the knowledge and experience to identify and aggressively pursue any and all claims resulting from an on-the-job injury. If you or a loved one has been injured on the job, call ReidGoodwin today to schedule your free legal evaluation.