what do you do if a paramedic drops you while placing you in an ambulance causing injury?
J Girl asked:
My boyfriend was dropped while being placed in an ambulance and now has a hip injury, he has no insurance and already has tons of hospital bills, what can he do to sue the hospital/ paramedics, or at least get his medical bills paid for when he goes to have his hip looked at?
Blackhead Relief
My boyfriend was dropped while being placed in an ambulance and now has a hip injury, he has no insurance and already has tons of hospital bills, what can he do to sue the hospital/ paramedics, or at least get his medical bills paid for when he goes to have his hip looked at?
Blackhead Relief
February 16th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Wow never heard something like that before. You should talk to a lawyer about that.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:23 am
If your boyfriend’s hip has been injured permanently, then he can go to a litigation lawyer (personal injury lawyer) and tell them what happened. If they think he has a case, then they will take it on and charge about 30% of the final settlement. If there is no permanent damage, then it would not be worth bringing it to court: the court fees and lawyer fees would make any money awarded disappear quickly.
EDIT: Usually the first consultation with a personal injury lawyer is free, so it wouldn’t hurt to check out what’s possible if you’re unsure of the viability of the case. A personal injury lawyer won’t take on a case unless it will likely have a large settlement.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I have been a medic for 27 years, and never dropped a patient. The cots now in use roll into the ambulance, and the legs then swing up underneath and into the ambulance. These have been in use for over 15 yrs, thus making it virtually drop proof. It was made this way not only to protect patients but medics’ backs as well. Even with a collapse it would have stayed upright and just been like “sitting down” hard, like sitting down from standing to 2 ft tall chair with a thin mattress on it.
Sounds to me like the cot must have fallen over sideways. This is different than “dropping” a patient. Were they in uneven footing? Was your boyfriend moving and jumping around a lot? Possibly in pain or had he been drinking? If you are seeking a settlement, I can assure you you’d do better to talk with the ambulance service directly, or the cot manufacturer. Medics barely make over $10.00 per hr on average, and many work 2 jobs to support their families. I am not trying to justify your boyfriends injuries, but make sure you know the mechanism of injury and the cause of it. Then talk to the ambulance service about their malpractice policy, as well as the cot manuf. if youwant any money from it.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
wow! if the medics dropped me i’d have a huge lawsuit against them
February 24th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Go get a lawyer because he can definetly take legal action against the paramedic.