The Kansas City Chiefs defeated Houston, Texas, in the Divisional Round of the 2024-2025 NFL playoffs. Unfortunately, a serious safety incident was reported immediately after the game in the parking lot. On January 20, 2025, Yahoo News reported that a driver suffered a serious medical emergency and struck at least five people. Here, our Kansas City auto accident lawyer provides an overview of what we know about this case and explains the rules for medical emergency auto accident claims.
Medical Emergency Leads to Parking Lot Collision at Arrowhead Stadium
Following the Chiefs’ playoff victory over the Texans, a driver experienced a medical emergency while attempting to exit the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot. The male driver reportedly lost consciousness, and his SUV collided with a nearby pickup truck. Yahoo News confirmed that four bystanders sustained minor to moderate injuries, but they all declined medical treatment at the scene. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital. He is listed as in stable but critical condition.
How Common are Car Accidents Caused By Medical Emergencies to the Driver?
While driver medical emergencies are a factor in only a small share of motor vehicle collisions, they are a risk. According to a study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “only 1.3% of all drivers involved in crashes had a medical emergency while driving.” Still, this represents many thousands of car accidents nationwide each year. NHTSA reports that 62% of medical-condition-caused passenger car accidents were single-vehicle collisions. The remaining 38% were multi-vehicle crashes. A number of different medical conditions can contribute to motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Heart attacks;
- Strokes;
- Eplisely;
- Diabetes;
- Neurological disorders;
- Acute vision problems; and
- Sleep disorders.
What to Know About Liability and Medical-Emergency-Caused Car Accident
When a car accident is caused by a driver experiencing a medical emergency, liability can be an exceptionally complex issue. These are highly fact-specific cases. The sudden emergency doctrine may apply. Depending on the situation, a driver may not be liable for an accident if they suffered a sudden and unforeseeable medical emergency that rendered them unable to control the vehicle.
However, the defense may not apply if the driver was aware of their condition (or should have been aware of their condition) and its risks but continued driving and put others in harm’s way. Notably, even if a driver is deemed not at fault due to a medical emergency, their insurance may still cover damages under a liability policy.
Consult With Our Kansas City Car Accident Attorney Today
At House Law LLC, our Kansas City auto accident lawyer is a skilled, knowledgeable, and aggressive advocate for justice. We are committed to helping injured victims secure the absolute maximum compensation from insurers after a crash. Contact us right away for your free, fully private case review. With an office in Kansas City, we take on car accident injury claims in Missouri and Kansas.
Tags: brain injury, personal injury, traumatic brain injury
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