By Anthony G. Attrino
nj.com
LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A Toms River woman has filed a lawsuit against the Township of Lakewood and its Emergency Medical Services department, claiming she suffered serious, permanent injuries when EMS workers allegedly mishandled a stretcher during her transport to a hospital.
Janet Fures, 63, filed the complaint in Ocean County Superior Court, seeking damages for injuries she says were caused when a stretcher tipped over as EMS personnel attempted to remove her from an ambulance at Ocean University Medical Center in June 2022.
Lakewood Township officials were not immediately available Wednesday to comment on the lawsuit.
The complaint was initially filed in June 2024. Depositions in the case are set to end in May with a jury trial to follow soon after, court records show.
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According to the suit, Fures was being transported for treatment of bilateral knee pain. As the stretcher was removed from the ambulance, the rear step caught on one of the stretcher wheels, causing it to tip to the right and fall, with Fures still strapped in place.
The complaint states the fall resulted in “serious and permanent bodily injuries” that have significantly impacted Fures’ life.
She is pursuing monetary damages and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the EMS workers involved in the incident. It also claims the township and its EMS department failed in their responsibility to properly train, supervise and manage their personnel.
The suit also includes unnamed defendants, referred to as “Does 1-5” and “Corps 1-5,” representing unknown individuals and entities who may have contributed to the alleged negligence.
In an answer filed July 21, 2024, attorneys for the township denied EMS or township officials were negligent.
Instead, they said Fures “is solely liable for the underlying incident,” and that she knew and assumed the risks involved in ambulance transport.
In addition to personal injury claims, Fures is seeking compensation for economic damages, including loss of income related to the injuries.
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