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.
From issues of trust, conflict and commitment to accountability avoidance and inattention, dysfunction can render a team utterly ineffective
“Sadly, this isn’t the last time we will see these headlines, but for us, today, put the tourniquet away and focus on the heart and soul of those in our charge.”
Paramedics responded to reports of an unconscious intoxicated female vomiting in a dorm
Rocky Allen was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for stealing a syringe with the powerful painkiller from an operating room
Emergency responders asked the woman to step aside as they revived the man, but she did not comply
An Air Force veteran took a screenshot of the photo and comment and reported it to the department
The lawsuit spurred the creation of a new policy that requires personnel to undergo training on how to use heat packs
Destiny Noella McNeil, 19, pleaded no contest to felony charges of theft, fleeing and simple assault
James Burton had previously installed a dash camera to monitor his son’s driving
Eric Pracht, 25, vanished in July after a heated argument with friends at a party
State Child Protective Services investigators became involved after receiving a report of heroin use at the home 24-year-old Ashlee Hutt
Deputies say they found the 19-year-old making animal noises and biting a man’s face
A dozen female paramedics allege the department devised two new physical agility tests that are biased against women
The hospital also dealt with a drunk driver patient jumping out of an ambulance
Attorneys for the city have argued that releasing the remaining 911 calls to and from patrons inside the Pulse nightclub would violate an exemption to Florida’s public records law
The lawsuit alleges had the ambulance not gotten lost on the way to the call, a cardiac arrest victim would still be alive
Smartphone users who clicked on the virus link then watched as their phones became “hijacked,” and called 911 repeatedly
Assailants attempted to hit Ben Hampe with a 70-pound car jack in the head
The 21-year-old man had his leg amputated after a serious motorcycle crash earlier this year
Martin Gottesfeld claims the hospital hacking was to protest the treatment of a teenage patient caught up in a custody fight
Police and EMS responded to reports of a man walking around with a knife stuck in his back
The lawsuit alleges the paramedic committed gross negligence when wrapping the infant in a foil wrap and blankets
Brian LaCroix has served as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, paramedic and educator
Train EMS personnel to adopt and follow these important cybersecurity best practices to protect patient data, personnel records and agency hardware
Cybersecurity, a real and credible threat to EMS agencies, is an additional risk for EMS leaders to understand and manage
In 2014, Manatee County led all 67 counties in heroin overdose deaths per capita
The patient removed his restraints and jumped out the back doors of the ambulance
EMS leaders promote the importance of a degree, but too few agencies require higher education as part of their hiring practices
The medical examiner reported that Tamara Naish’s death was inconsistent with a suicide
When I started writing, I never imagined that it would actually make me a better paramedic
Our co-hosts discuss the high points from this year’s conference in New Orleans
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- Calif. officials to vote on controversial ambulance contract
- FDNY union rep who helped suspended EMT threatened with racist letter
- Former EMT accused of inappropriately touching female patient
- 3 additional EMS employees terminated over Facebook posts
- NJ rescue squad fined over $180K for using unlicensed ambulances