By Tony Blais
Edmonton Sun
EDMONTON, Alberta — An Edmonton woman has launched a $125,000 lawsuit against a paramedic, an emergency medical technician, the City of Edmonton and Capital Health after alleging she was severely injured when she fell off a stretcher at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
In a statement of claim filed June 26, Bertha Shailer alleges she called 911 on July 3, 2006 to request an ambulance as she was suffering from nausea, vomiting, numbness in her extremities and respiratory distress.
She also allegedly displayed signs of mental confusion.
Shailer alleges paramedic Adrian Panylyk and EMT Roy Serrao transported her in an ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, arriving about midnight.
She then claims that while waiting unattended for treatment in the hospital’s emergency department, she fell onto the floor from the stretcher she was seated on.
According to the statement of claim, Shailer suffered severe injuries to her head, neck, right shoulder and right arm and continues to suffer from pain and loss of motion.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants failed to take a proper and careful history of Shailer from time to time and failed to recognize the nature of her condition and the risk of her falling from the stretcher she was seated on.
RIBS AND AN EARRING
A Tony Roma’s Restaurant and one of its prep cooks are being sued for $192,500 by a city man who alleges he bit into an earring while eating his takeout rib dinner.
According to a June 24 statement of claim, Trevor Gamble went to the 10362 51 Ave. Tony Roma’s on June 25, 2006 and placed an order for some beef ribs to take away.
While later eating the ribs at his home, Gamble alleges he “bit down hard into his food and made painful contact with a metal object that was covered in rib sauce.”
The engineering technologist claims the contact resulted in him jarring and loosening a tooth and says a closer inspection revealed it was a metallic stud earring.
Gamble alleges he went to the eatery with the earring the next day and spoke to a manager who confirmed the stud had been lost by a prep cook working the day before.
He also alleges the manager then told him, in response to his health concerns relating to potential disease, that the unidentified prep cook was engaged in a gay lifestyle.
Gamble claims that after the incident he developed health complications associated with his liver.
He alleges the prep cook was negligent for letting food be served despite knowing he had lost his earring while preparing it and Tony Roma’s breached its contract of sale by serving unsafe food not fit for human consumption.
SUIT PACKS PUNCH
An Edmonton man has filed a $190,000 lawsuit against a Whyte Avenue nightclub and other defendants after alleging he was seriously hurt when the padding on a punching apparatus in the bar slid down when he struck it.
In a June 30 statement of claim, Kori Handy alleges he broke his right middle finger knuckle in the July 1, 2006 incident at Bar Wild, 10551 82 Ave., and injured his right shoulder, right wrist, right elbow, right arm and neck.
Handy also alleges he suffered insomnia and emotional upset as a result of the 1:30 a.m. occurrence.
Handy claims he was healthy and active in all activities, including “playing hockey on the farm team,” but, as a result of the negligence of the defendants, he says he was in considerable pain and unable to enjoy these activities.
Handy is also trying to sue the owner of the registered property where the nightclub is situated or whoever owned or maintained the punching apparatus involved.
CLUBHOUSE CLAIM
An Edmonton woman is suing the Attorney General of Canada, two RCMP officers, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Inc. and two Fairmont employees for $150,000 after alleging she was unlawfully arrested and thrown to the ground and injured while in the Jasper Park Lodge clubhouse.
In a July 2 statement of claim, Irene Narayan alleges the conduct of former Jasper RCMP Const. Pierre-Paul Seguin was malicious and a flagrant abuse of his authority and caused her to suffer mental anguish, trauma, humiliation and injury to her dignity and reputation.
Narayan claims she went to the Jasper Park Lodge on July 3, 2006 and was told by staff to park her car before seeking a room.
She says she did so and left her two-year-old son in the locked car with the air conditioning on.
When she returned to her vehicle, Narayan alleges two hotel employees had boxed her in.
Then, she claims Seguin arrived and informed her he would not be charging her and she went into the clubhouse with her son.
Several hours later Seguin came into the clubhouse, told another customer to leave and then approached Narayan and, without saying a word, “forcibly ripped” the child from her arms, according to the statement of claim.
Narayan alleges Seguin then twisted her arm behind her back and threw her to the ground, where she struck her head on the concrete floor. She claims he then illegally searched her car while she was taken for treatment.
While in hospital, Narayan alleges an unidentified RCMP officer came into her room and began aggressively interrogating her.
She claims he also threatened to take her son away if she did not immediately answer his questions.
According to the lawsuit, Narayan was later charged, but the charges were terminated in her favour in April 2007.