Wrongful Death Suit Blames Delayed Response of St. Louis Medic Unit

The City of St. Louis and two fire department EMTs are facing a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the sister of a man who died in 2021. Sharon LaRue claims that St. Louis Fire Department Medic 32 was dispatched for her brother, who has been struck by a vehicle. She further claims that Medic 32 stopped after being struck by a rock.

Seattle Settles Wrongful Death Suit for $1.8 Million

The family of a Seattle man who died after firefighters mistakenly staged waiting for police, has agreed to settle their $10 million wrongful death suit for $1.8 million. William Yurek died on November 2, 2021 following 911 calls reporting that he was experiencing chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Fire Law Roundup for April 3, 2023

In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for April 3, 2023, Brad and Curt discuss the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the brother of a man whose body was used for intubation practice by a Washington state fire department; ...

DC Firefighters Investigated For Delaying Response to Chest Pain Call

Two firefighters with the District of Columbia are facing possible discipline over allegations they delayed their response to a medical emergency in order to pick up a fast-food order. According to News4 reporter, Paul Wagner, the firefighters assigned to Ambulance 3, were dispatched to a call for a 57 y/o woman experiencing chest pain

Washington Supreme Court Concludes Public Duty Doctrine Limited to Statutory Duties

The Supreme Court of Washington has ruled that the public duty doctrine, one of the fire service’s most important defenses to negligence claims, only applies to statutorily created duties, not common law duties. The ruling came in a suit case brought against the Seattle Fire Department alleging firefighters responded to the wrong address.

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.

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

Retirement of DC Lieutenant Raises Question of Pension Following Dishonorable Service

Today’s burning question: Can a firefighter who is facing disciplinary action, avoid facing any punishment for his misconduct by quickly retiring before he can be terminated? Answer: An employee can resign at any time and there is nothing an employer can do to stop a separation of service from occurring. However, the employee’s entitlement to a pension is another story. A pension can be conditioned on honorable service.

Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

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