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.
Looking outside the industry for recruitment and retention best practices
Regulation, documentation and benchmarking recommendations for managing fleet maintenance and vehicle replacement cycle
Maintaining skill sets through regular training is more important than ever, even if it is through online platforms
Retired responders are accused of falsely claiming they had depression, PTSD or other psychological problems so crushing they couldn’t work
She claims she has suffered from discrimination, retaliation and a hostile workplace for eight years
He agreed to 30 unpaid days off work for driving the vehicle for personal use more than once in the past year
It indicates the owner is trying to sell DEMSI, which has not been providing enough ambulances after employees walked off the job
He’s being charged with interfering with emergency medical care, but says he has the First Amendment right to record law enforcement personnel
The recordings would be barred from the public, and limited to investigators, family, and for use in lawsuits
The suit alleges he raped a female employee and made “sexually offensive gestures, comments and requests for sexual favors”
The investigative report recommends discipline for the five firefighters and four 911 dispatch employees who sent the ambulance to the wrong address
Medic Gene Ryan is planning to sue the department due to mismanagement
The service denied a claim filed by a woman who says they failed to correctly diagnose and treat her husband’s medical condition and he died because of it
Sister describes Bryan Stow’s 24-hour care after the 2011 beating at Dodger Stadium: “We shower him, we dress him, we fix his meals”
He stole painkillers from the fire station twice and is now undergoing treatment and counseling
After a broken ankle led to 12 surgeries and the amputation of his leg, the NY man sued his doctors for medical malpractice
Teddy Hickman, 42, was sued in a wrongful-death lawsuit that claims he incorrectly placed an endotracheal tube in an 18-year-old college student
The former Texas medic received four years for each of the two counts against her and will be eligible for parole after four years
Terri Elmore, 42, testified she had suffered fainting spells for many years, including one just two days before the accident
County commissioner Jim Bernard said the risk of a lawsuit and the time and expense of restarting a process for new bids isn’t in the best interest of county residents
This is part 1 of a five-part series exploring the components of Emotional Intelligence as they relate to EMS professionals
Fired for taking doctor-ordered drugs, rehired, then fired again for not showing up to work while negotiating legal fees with the county
Benjamin Ward Samples, 38, a former EMT involved in a fatal crash in 2011, is to serve a one-year suspended sentenced on a negligent homicide charge
The case of Texas paramedic Marlise Munoz drew national debate about life support for the sake of a fetus
The medic allegedly stole pain medication and replaced the substances with a high dose of an over-the-counter allergy medication to put patients into a “deep fog”
The dispatcher at first tried to calm the man down, but when he swore at her she hung up the phone
Allegations from fire and 911 dispatch officials say the company halted calls long enough to position its ambulances to be the closest units
They were convicted of 39 counts after a $1.2M scam that went on for more than a decade
Victory EMS owner Victor Gonzalez, 26, has been charged with five counts of healthcare fraud, three counts of identity theft and one count of mail fraud
The EMT was stuck by flying glass shards and debris, but was wearing a bulletproof vest thanks to a new policy to combat an uptick in gun violence
Justine Dubois, 24, faked a seizure while being arrested for allegedly stealing a car; the gun shot caused minor wounds to the medic’s abdomen
There are three main types of cameras, and pros and cons to using each one
Neel Jackson, 35, is accused of transporting patients under Medicaid when they weren’t eligible and offering envelopes of cash to entice them to use the service
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