Tag Archives: public duty

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.

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DCFEMS Dismissed from L’Enfant Plaza Suit

A US District Court judge today dismissed the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department from the mass tort suit involving the L’Enfant Plaza smoke incident. The incident occurred in 2015 when an electrical problem caused power cables to begin emitting large quantities of smoke inside a metro tunnel.

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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

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Homeowner Wants City to Pay for Door Damaged by Firefighters

Today’s burning question: Last March when I went out shopping, firefighters were called to my house and broke down my door. Apparently my neighbor called because my wood burning stove created a lot of smoke. The door cost me $2,000 to fix. Can I make the city or the firefighters pay?

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