Do I Have to Take an Ambulance?

It happens all the time. Witnesses see a car accident and the first reaction is to call 9-1-1, which is a good thing in case someone is injured. Of course, once emergency services are dispatched, they will send a crew prepared and ready to assist with any possible injury. This includes an ambulance.

Some victims of car accident might assume that because the ambulance was dispatched, they are required to take the ambulance to the hospital, but this incorrect. You are not required to take the ambulance, but you should consider a couple of things before you make that decision.

First, if you are in need of injury care, an ambulance crew can begin to treat your auto injuries immediately while communicating with the ER in advance to prepare them for your arrival. If your injuries don’t require this kind of attention, you can avoid the ambulance. If your injuries are serious enough to require hospital treatment, you will likely appreciate the fact that your ambulance can dodge all that traffic, too.

Second, even if you do not have any obvious external injuries, if you feel like something is “off” with your body and you are concerned that you may not be able to drive or something might get worse, take the ambulance. Otherwise, you can avoid it and take yourself to the doctor.

While you’re not required to take the ambulance if you are under your own ability to make conscious decisions, it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. You are not required to take the ambulance, but if you’ve suffered from a serious auto accident, you may want to just to be safe.