What happened: A woman in Toms River, New Jersey, is suing the township and its EMS department, claiming she sustained serious, permanent injuries after falling from a stretcher during hospital transport. The alleged incident occurred in 2022 during offloading from an ambulance at a local hospital. The complaint, filed in June 2024, is now moving forward, prompting renewed attention to the critical importance of stretcher safety in EMS operations.
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Highlights: Watch as Ed Bauter, MBA, MHL, NRP, FP-C, CCP-C; and Daniel Schwester, MICP, highlight the significance of this development, including:
- Stretcher safety must be foundational. The incident underscores how easily a routine offload can result in harm if the patient isn’t properly secured or equipment isn’t fully engaged.
- Know your tools, know your role. Clinicians emphasize the need for familiarity with specific stretcher systems and caution providers to defer to experienced team members when uncertain.
- Don’t overlook the basics. While high-tech tools often dominate training, consistent review of body mechanics, communication and transport protocols remains essential for avoiding incidents like this.
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The path forward: This case reinforces a longstanding but sometimes overlooked truth: mastering the fundamentals is essential. EMS providers must continue to train on lifting and moving techniques, maintain their equipment properly, and use clear, consistent communication during transports. By doing so, they not only reduce risk to patients as well as injury to themselves, but also protect themselves and their agencies from legal and professional fallout.
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