Two members of a Louisiana family filed a lawsuit against the company that owned an ambulance so poorly maintained that their mother is alleged to have died as a result of being transported by it. According to the lawsuit, which was filed on June 9, the plaintiffs claim that their mother either contracted decubitus ulcers from the vehicle or had them aggravated by it, which ultimately led to her death.
The plaintiffs claim that the ambulance, which transported their mother for six hours, caused the victim to experience an unnecessarily rough transport. They also allege that the ambulance had no air conditioning. Additionally, both plaintiffs claim to have personally seen an ulcer on the victim that developed after her transport.
They are seeking compensation for the mental and physical pain suffered by and wrongful death of their mother, as well as loss of companionship. The family members filed suit against Acadian Ambulance Service of New Orleans LLC and Care Ambulance Service Inc. While speaking with the news source, the executive vice president of the former company said the case against it had been dropped by the plaintiffs.
When someone dies while being served by health care professionals, his or her surviving family members may have cause to file a civil suit against those individuals or their employers. An attorney for the plaintiff of a wrongful death case must convince a jury that the defendant’s negligence contributed to the decedent’s passing. Legal counsel also needs to show the jury that the client suffered economic harm as a direct result of the victim’s death.
Source: The Louisiana Record, “Family files wrongful death suit against ambulance provider“, Andrew Stevens, July 17, 2014
