By Allison Stice
The Island Packet
BLUFFTON, S.C. — Bluffton beating victim Brian Lanese will receive $150,000 to settle his lawsuit that alleged two Beaufort County paramedics mishandled his treatment, according to documents released Wednesday. The settlement is to be paid by the county’s insurance provider, the S.C. Insurance Reserve Fund, according to the agreement.
Brian Lanese and his wife, Tracy, signed the settlement agreement March 14, according to documents released by the county’s legal department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. The county and other defendants do not admit liability for any medical problems Lanese has as a result of the 2008 beating in his backyard and are merely avoiding further litigation, the agreement says.
The suit filed by the Laneses in October 2009 alleged that paramedics Jeffrey Knieling and Shayna Orsen botched the ambulance call, which resulted in Lanese being hospitalized for a month with brain injuries. The Laneses initially sought up to $600,000 in damages, according to court records.
The injuries Lanese sustained “are or may be permanent or progressive” and recovery “is uncertain and indefinite,” the agreement said.
Full Story: Bluffton beating victim paid $150K to settle with county EMS