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No one wants to find themselves facing a medical emergency, and no one wants to be involved in a car accident. An even worse scenario would be suffering a medical emergency that then causes a car accident. This situation might sound unlikely, but it happens more often than you might think.  

You might wonder — if you suffer a medical emergency and it causes a car accident, can you be legally liable? 

The Importance of Sudden Emergency Doctrine 

The short answer is that if you had a true medical emergency you couldn’t have foreseen, you likely won’t be held legally liable. That’s because, like most states, New York recognizes “sudden emergency doctrine.” This is a common-law doctrine and not an actual statute. Under this doctrine, you may be exempted from negligence laws if: 

• The emergency was sudden and unexpected 
• You couldn’t have reasonably anticipated the emergency 
• You didn’t contribute to the emergency through negligence 

For example, suppose that you have never had any heart problems in your life. One day, you have a heart attack while driving, causing a crash. In this case, you likely wouldn’t be held liable. 

That example is fairly black and white, but often, things are a little less straightforward. For instance, if someone suddenly has a seizure behind the wheel, it might seem like the sudden emergency doctrine would obviously apply.  

However, if it’s revealed that the person knew they had a seizure disorder, had not been taking prescribed medication for seizures, and has a history of having seizures behind the wheel, you could make a strong case that while the person did suffer a medical emergency, their negligence contributed to that emergency. 

Usually, whether the “sudden emergency doctrine” defense works comes down to a simple question: would a reasonable person have acted the same way? In the first case mentioned above, the answer is yes — a reasonable person who had never had a heart issue would assume it was safe for them to drive. 

In the second case, the driver had plenty of reason to believe they could have a seizure behind the wheel — they knew that they had a medical condition and they were not treating it appropriately. A reasonable person wouldn’t drive under those circumstances. 

Cases involving the sudden emergency doctrine often have many different factors. You should always talk to an attorney before deciding whether the defense would apply in your case or not.  

Does Liability Matter in a No-Fault State Like New York? 

You likely already know that New York is a no-fault state when it comes to car insurance. This means that your insurance company will pay to cover your medical expenses after an accident, regardless of whether you were at fault or not. 

No-fault insurance is intended to reduce the number of lawsuits filed after car accidents. It’s also intended to help you pay for medical expenses quickly. When you file a personal injury lawsuit, it can take months or years to recover compensation, but no-fault insurance can cover medical care almost immediately.  

However, you can still file personal injury lawsuits in New York and other no-fault states. If you have severe or life-altering injuries, a personal injury claim may be able to help you cover medical costs beyond those your insurance covers. No-fault car insurance also doesn’t cover non-economic damages like loss of quality of life, so you would need to file a lawsuit to try to recover these damages.  

When it comes to accidents that cause major injuries, liability still matters in no-fault states. If you’ve caused a car accident because of a medical emergency, one of our attorneys may be able to review your case and help determine whether you may be held legally liable.  

Similarly, if you suffered major injuries in an accident caused by another person’s medical emergency, we can advise you as to whether a personal injury claim is likely to be successful. 

When You Have Questions About Liability, We Have Answers 

Questions about legal liability are almost never as clear-cut as you want them to be. If you aren’t sure if you’ll be held legally liable for an accident caused by a medical emergency, the only way to know for sure is to talk to an attorney.  

The team at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos has years of experience helping people like you navigate murky legal challenges like these. Call us or get in touch online to schedule a free consultation today.