A recently filed lawsuit alleges that the volunteer fire chief of a Little Caillou, Louisiana, is responsible for the injuries sustained by a man in a 2010 traffic wreck. The car accident happened when the fire chief struck a boat trailer, which was being pulled by a pickup truck, from behind. The lawsuit alleges that the impact caused the truck to spin out of its lane before stopping on the center line.

Although the damage to the boat and truck was relatively minor, the lawsuit claims that one of the truck's passengers sustained "serious, painful, permanent and disabling injuries" to his knee and neck. In addition to the fire chief, it also names the local volunteer fire district and its insurance company as defendants. According to the new lawsuit, the plaintiff seeks damages to compensate him for "physical pain and suffering, shock, fear, humiliation, mental anguish (and) emotional distress" caused by the crash.

Although police investigating the crash found that the fire chief was responsible, they did not issue him a citation. According to the original police report, the fire chief's vehicle was flashing its emergency lights and was driving slowly to account for poor weather conditions. Louisiana State Police did not report any injuries at the time of the accident. The fire chief claimed the accident was minor and did not even cause his vehicle's air bags to deploy. He chose not to comment further.

It is not unusual at the time of an accident for victims to have immediate and apparent injuries. Often, what seems to be a pulled muscle or stiffness after accident is an indication that something more serious has actually occurred. It is important following an accident to seek medical advice to ensure that your injuries aren't more serious than they first appear.

Source: Daily Comet, "Little Caillou Fire chief sued over crash," Eric Heisig, Jan. 10, 2012