What Is Ambulance Negligence And When Might It Be Considered Connecticut Medical Malpractice?

If you’ve ever found yourself in a position where you’ve needed the assistance of an EMT or a paramedic you may have also found yourself in an ambulance on the way to the hospital for medical attention.  Anytime you interact with medical professionals there is the possibility that a Connecticut medical malpractice incident may occur.  An incident like this may occur when you are being tended to by a medical professional working as part of an ambulance team.

A medical professional who is working on an ambulance may be considered to have committed medical malpractice if she/he has deviated from the standard of care.  You may notice that this is the same language used for medical professionals who are tending to your medical needs in a hospital or doctor’s office setting as well.  

There are a number of things that someone working on an ambulance may or may not due that could constitute a deviation from the standard of care.  If your experience with one of these caused an injury or death, the medical professional may be held accountable.  Some of these deviations include, but are not limited to;

• Not having the right equipment or drugs stocked on the ambulance at the time of the emergency
• Putting a breathing tube in incorrectly
• Failure to respond to a 911 call
• Making a mistake on the transfer of information from the ambulance staff to the hospital staff
• Not getting the patient to the hospital fast enough

These are just some of the things that may be considered ambulance negligence and therefore could be considered to be Connecticut medical malpractice.  There is a common misconception that ambulance drivers, EMTs or paramedics cannot be held liable for an injury that occurs when responding to an emergency, but that is false.  If a medical provider is responding as a professional she/he can be considered to have deviated from the standard of care.  In some cases there are laws that protect lay people who are working to help someone who is injured, but not a medical professional.

If you or a loved one were injured when an ambulance responded to your emergency and one of the medical professionals who responded made a mistake you may want to speak with an attorney who can review your case.  Our team of legal and medical professionals can work with you to help protect your long-term interests.