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.
How my first agency took a young, under-confident, naïve paramedic and made me a clinician
The public shouldn’t have to roll the dice about their emergency services, wondering who’s going to show up
Leaders discuss operational survival in the face of EMS challenges
A drunken driver whose blood-alcohol content was five times the legal limit lost control of his vehicle and plowed into the crowd
EMS crews had just unloaded the patient and were restocking medical supplies when he stole the ambulance
Fire officials confirmed the person’s identity in the photo as a Boston firefighter
Any crime committed against emergency personnel would be considered a hate crime
Colleagues and supervisors of Shawn Daniel insist he was not in Boston the day of the bombing
The bill would require air ambulance providers and insurance companies to negotiate payments for services
First responders were inside a residence aiding a patient when the vehicle was stolen
EMS Chief Ernie Rodriguez said the agency is looking to install devices on their ambulances that would prevent theft
Any crime committed against emergency personnel would be considered a hate crime
The agency faces charges of accepting bribes in the form of cash and gifts for intentionally omitting terms of kickbacks from written contracts
Luke Jones, 37, died of his injuries after being involved in an altercation outside a club
Officials said the theft occurred as responders were handling an overdose call
The lawsuit alleges the dispatcher sent responders to the wrong address, which led to a double-murder
At one point in 2015, due to high call volumes and staffing shortages, the dispatch center didn’t answer one in five calls before the caller hung up
A volunteer EMT without commitment or compassion is a short-term fix that usually becomes a long-term problem
Dramatic changes for EMS reimbursement are destined to happen regardless of the Republican repeal or replacement efforts targeting the Affordable Care Act
The laptop was protected with a password, but officials said it is unclear if it was encrypted
A former employee claimed the company falsified bills for ambulance services to qualify for higher Medicare reimbursements
Roy U. Hall was charged with aggravated battery of a protected employee and attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse causing bodily harm
The expectant driver was taken to a hospital and paramedics checked the children
Malachi Love-Robinson, 19, was arrested last year after officials said he was practicing medicine without a license
Michael John Harcharik stole and used a dead patient’s debit card to make several withdrawals and cash payments
The 60-year-old dispatcher was walking to work when she was approached from behind, punched in the face and thrown to the ground
Responders were inside a home providing medical aid when the ambulance was stolen
Security footage captured a suspect dragging the dispatcher after she got off a bus
This “it takes a public safety village” approach to officer training is successful and repeatable in any jurisdiction
Learn how one EMS agency improved EMS provider performance with an Olympic-themed competition
The train had erratically changed speeds in the three minutes before the crash, accelerating and decelerating between 2 and 10 mph
Continuing education is more than a requirement; it is a benefit that to help providers do their jobs better
Ensure your EMS billing is in compliance at the start of the calendar year or fiscal year with five important resolutions