Legal Issues
The legal issues topic contains news and information about legal issues affecting EMS personnel, agencies or departments. Find the latest news from personnel misconduct, to disciplinary and harassment cases, to malpractice lawsuits, as well as advice to prevent legal action with EMS training, documentation and management.
Fire and EMS leaders can serve as a much-needed constant amid the chaos
You’ve got the requisite emergency response training, but do you have the knowledge to survive a lawsuit?
Despite CMS’s comprehensive cost findings, MedPAC’s selective data edits paint a distorted picture — risking the financial future of thousands of ambulance services
With two more key exits, including the fire chief, Gouldsboro seeks new leadership to steady its embattled ambulance service amid past fraud and recent firings
Prosecutors say the man accused of killing FDNY Capt. Alison Russo deliberately ambushed the 61-year-old EMS veteran outside her Queens stationhouse
The man accused of killing Capt. Alison Russo in an unprovoked 2022 attack has been deemed mentally competent, allowing the criminal case to proceed
Acadian Ambulance is seeking to dismiss a class action lawsuit over a 2024 data breach affecting 2.9 million people, arguing plaintiffs haven’t shown actual harm from the leak of sensitive information
Hayword authorities say the patient had methamphetamine in his system when midazolam was administered during an in-custody incident
An FDNY EMS crew is under investigation after allegedly hitting an unconscious road rage victim with their ambulance and leaving the scene without providing aid
A hidden spy camera disguised as a phone charger was discovered in the bunkroom of an El Cajon fire station, leaving female EMS personnel feeling violated and unsafe
5 insidious partner issues to avoid so that patients feel safe in our care
In this video, risk management expert Gordon Graham encourages first responders to consider the impact of their time in the fire service
A MetroAtlanta Ambulance paramedic has been accused of assaulting a patient during transport
An audit by the San Jose Fire Department revealed possible drug theft and tampering at 16 additional fire stations
The former Yellow Breeches EMS chief has been sentenced to up to 17 years in state prison after being convicted of multiple sexual assault charges involving a minor
What happens if EMS providers who use marijuana safely and legally test positive days later in violation of policies?
A Carroll County medic is charged with stealing liquid painkillers and replacing them with saline solution
Be the person you needed when you were new and set a positive example on every shift
Lakewood Township EMS faces a lawsuit from a patient seeking damages after a stretcher tipped over when she was being removed from the ambulance
A Sumter County man faces a maximum punishment of 6 months behind bars and a $200 fine for multiple 911 calls and leaving hospitals without seeking treatment
Discover actionable strategies for EMS teams to minimize errors through rest, focus and teamwork
EMS clinicians should rely on their assessment and facts when assessing people with a suspected factitious disorder
A judge dismissed a lawsuit against Puyallup police and Central Pierce Fire & Rescue filed by a woman who was misdiagnosed with DUI but was later found to have suffered a massive stroke
These sources of start-up and long-term funding can help launch and provide economic sustainability for mobile integrated health care
The Legal Guardian answers a reader’s question about legal liability for his partner’s inaccurate and poorly written patient care narratives
Make no mistake, every EMS provider in every state has a duty to perform a full and complete assessment on every living patient
A complete narrative in the patient care report that is reviewed and signed by the patient is your best protection against liability for the non-transport decision
A former sheriff and a volunteer firefighter created a bill that makes harassing first responders engaged in their lawful duty a first-degree misdemeanor
The lawsuit alleges EMS workers left without helping a man who had called for emergency aid — only for his son to find him dead the next day
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