EMS Dispatch

Pennsylvania Fire Department Sued for COVID-Related Wrongful Death

The family of a Pennsylvania woman who died from COVID on January 23, 2021, has filed suit against the local fire department and several providers claiming they failed to properly evaluate and transport her to definitive care the day before.

Court Rules Baltimore County EMS Not Liable for Patient’s Death

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling that neither Baltimore County nor an EMS crew could be held liable for the death of a patient in 2015. Baltimore County Fire Department Paramedic Nicole Nappi and EMT Traci Jackson were sued by the family of Ceontay Coit, who died on December 11, 2015.

FDNY Ambulance Delay and NY Special Duty Rule

A lawsuit brought by the husband of a woman who died when an FDNY ambulance responding to her apartment was flagged down by police officers for another incident, has survived its first challenge, courtesy of the special duty rule. The case dates back to April 11, 2014, when Michael Mannino called 911 for Carmen Mannino.

Mississippi Family’s Lawsuit Claims AMR Ambulance Delay Caused Death

The daughters of a Mississippi woman who waited an hour for an ambulance to arrive have filed suit against American Medical Response, Hinds County, and the city of Jackson for wrongful death. Tameka Dinkins and Rosalind Yarber filed suit in Hinds County Circuit Court over the death of their mother, Elizabeth Neal.

Twice Fired New Mexico Firefighter Sues County

A former Albuquerque firefighter who was fired for hanging up on a frantic 911 caller in 2015 because the caller swore at him, is filing suit against the Bernalillo County Fire Department who hired and then abruptly fired him. Matthew Sanchez was fired by the Albuquerque Fire Department shortly after the shooting death of 17 year-old Jaydon Chavez-Silver.

Dispatch Error Leads to Wrongful Death Suit in Illinois

The family of a woman who died last summer when an ambulance was dispatched to the wrong address, has filed suit against the dispatch center and an Illinois fire department. Laurelyn Wagner-Pitts, 60, suffered a cardiac arrest on July 30, ...

Indiana Ambulance Company Sues County and Fire Departments

An Indiana ambulance company is suing a county and three fire departments over what it considers to be a breach of its provider agreement because the county is dispatching a fire department ambulance on emergency runs.

St. Louis Fire Settles Public Records Suit For EMS Responses to Abortion Clinic

The St. Louis Fire Department has settled a public records lawsuit brought by activists seeking access to information about medical responses to a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 under Missouri’s Sunshine Law, seeking records of emergency medical incidents at the Planned Parenthood of Greater St. Louis abortion facility.

Michigan City Sues Township Over Fire EMS Response Across The Street

Today’s burning question: There is a township fire station directly across the street from my property, but because the property is physically in the city, the township says they cannot respond. Shouldn’t the closest fire department to an emergency respond?

Illinois Abandons Public Duty Doctrine in Fire Department Case

In a split decision in a case involving a fire department, the Illinois Supreme court has taken the drastic step of abolishing the public duty doctrine in Illinois. The case involved a 911 call for a medical emergency that, for a variety of Murphy’s Law-type reasons, resulted in a 41-minute delay in accessing the patient

Albuquerque Fire Investigating Why Dispatcher Hung Up on Caller

The Albuquerque Fire Department is investigating a firefighter who allegedly hung-up on a frantic 911 caller because the caller swore at him while CPR instructions were being given. Albuquerque firefighter Matthew Sanchez was working in the dispatch center when a caller reported that Jaydon Chavez-Silver, a 17 year old high school student, had been shot.

Wrongful Death Suit filed in Detroit Failure To Act Case

The refusal of a Detroit EMT to respond to a home where an infant was not breathing has led to a wrongful death suit by the infant's mother. On May 30, 2015 EMT Ann Marie Thomas parked her unit on a street corner away from the scene while waiting for other units to arrive, an act her supervisors referred to as “depraved indifference”.

Las Vegas Fire Facing Two Federal Court Wrongful Death Suits Over EMS Response

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue is facing two federal lawsuits alleging the city’s EMS dispatch policy was responsible for the deaths of two victims in 2014. The suits were brought on behalf of John Benjamin Kraai and Brandon Charles Pickford and allege substantially the same thing: the failure to dispatch American Medical Response (AMR) units in both instances led to their deaths.

Refusal AMA Forms in Foreign Languages

Today’s burning question: Could a medic who fails to obtain an informed refusal from a patient who does not speak English be liable? Could the fire department be held liable for not providing refusal forms in other languages?

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