ROTTERDAM Widow sues town, ambulance service BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
The widow of a Rotterdam man is suing the town and its not-forprofit ambulance service, claiming that emergency responders failed to care for him properly as he was being taken to St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany. Maria DiMeo is seeking damages of up to $3 million from the town for the death of her husband, Alessandro DiMeo. In the lawsuit, she claims the negligence of the town paramedic and the two technicians aboard a Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services ambulance led to her husband’s death in September 2009. Specifi cally, the lawsuit alleges the personnel who responded to DiMeo as he was suffering chest pains failed to fully evaluate him or provide the necessary “medical therapy” as he was being taken to Albany. The lawsuit also faults the ambulance crew and paramedics for taking him to a hospital 17 miles away from Rotterdam, instead of Ellis Hospital in neighboring Schenectady. “Additionally, the failure of the paramedic employed [by Rotterdam] to accompany Mr. DiMeo to the hospital with only the basic emergency medical technicians to care for him represented a gross deviation from accepted standards of care, negligence and gross negligence,” stated attorney Peter Moschetti Jr. in court documents. “As a result of negligence, Mr. DiMeo was caused to suffer personal injury, conscious pain and suffering and damages, in addition to death.” The ambulance crew and a paramedic responded to the DiMeos’ Donald Drive residence around 3 a.m. Sept. 7 after he reported shortness of breath and chest pains. After a brief examination, the responders determined he needed to be hospitalized. The paramedic decided against accompanying the ambulance crew or following them to St. Peter’s, according to the lawsuit. As they departed for Albany, DiMeo’s condition worsened and the ambulance crew was not trained to administer the care to him, the lawsuit states. Physcians at St. Peter’s were able to resuscitate DiMeo, but he became unresponsive. He was diagnosed with hypoxic respiratory failure due to a heart problem and died nine days later in the intensive care unit. ......................>>>>...............................>>>>.........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....01101&AppName=1#
Shadow - That's what the study suggested years and years ago...you know...the study that was paid for with taxpayer dollars and then ignored because the unionize paramedics freaked out about being mashed in with the non-union REMS? It said the best bet was to merge the ALS and BLS services...and then fund them through the general fund...Study also said contracting service wasn't a good idea, if I remember correctly. But hell...who cares about studies. Rotterdam keeps paying for them and Rotterdam keeps ignoring them...
Shadow - That's what the study suggested years and years ago...you know...the study that was paid for with taxpayer dollars and then ignored because the unionize paramedics freaked out about being mashed in with the non-union REMS? It said the best bet was to merge the ALS and BLS services...and then fund them through the general fund...Study also said contracting service wasn't a good idea, if I remember correctly. But hell...who cares about studies. Rotterdam keeps paying for them and Rotterdam keeps ignoring them...
Point taken, however, there has been new information emerging since that study. And clearly not in rems favor. Since then, rems has faltered on paying their taxes, they claimed they could not survive financially without taxpayer funding (which did not have taxpayer support) and contrary to what they state, they have only been rems for approximately 6 years.
Couple that with missing hundreds of thousands of als money that rightfully should have been given back to the taxpayer.
That study is now obsolete and should be not considered when contracting ambulance service in rotterdeam. It is now totally inaccurate !
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Shadow - That's what the study suggested years and years ago...you know...the study that was paid for with taxpayer dollars and then ignored because the unionize paramedics freaked out about being mashed in with the non-union REMS? It said the best bet was to merge the ALS and BLS services...and then fund them through the general fund...Study also said contracting service wasn't a good idea, if I remember correctly. But hell...who cares about studies. Rotterdam keeps paying for them and Rotterdam keeps ignoring them...
so this is the true direction of the TJ HOOKER / Bob Godlewski and others plan - how many would beneffit from lifetime town med ins and retirement????
bend over - ROTTERDAM 5million for RPD/Paramedic wont be squat compaired to this
Talking to each other is better than talking about each other
Rotterdamians must make sure that the TJ hook slate does NOT get elected!!! At least then if this current bunch signs a contract with rems, the next administration can change it when the contract is up. (should be 1 year contract)
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
For what it's worth, I had a TERRIBLE experience with REMS a few years ago. My son, age 2 slipped and fell backward from tripping over something in the floor. He fell straight back and hit his head on the wood floor, he went unconscious and woke about 30 seconds later (longest 30 seconds of my life.) I called 911. When he woke up he was pretty out of it and wanted to go to sleep. He vomited once while on the phone with 911. REMS arrived quickly but took their time getting out of the truck and into my house, that they drove by once and had to turn around. When they arrived inside they just asked me questions and didn't even look at my son. At this point my son was conscious and aware of his surroundings. He wanted me to hold him. They looked in his eyes and that was it. They said they didn't think he needed to go in the ambulance and that he "seemed fine". Then they asked me to sign a paper and the guy that handed it to me said, and I quote, "This is just a paper that says that you didn't want to be transported to the hospital and then you won't sue us." Ummmmm, okay. They left, I called my pediatrician and they wanted to see him right away. He did have a concussion, but was not is any serious danger, but the pediatrician said the EMS workers sould not have suggested we not go to the hospital, we should have gone. They made me feel like I was over reacting to to my son's injury, to be honest. I ASSUMED they knew what was best and if they said he didn't need to go to the hospital, they were the experts so I will believe them. THANKFULLY my son was fine, but they really should not have taken that chance. Now, I'm sure there are some great people working with REMS, but my opinion of them will be tainted by that experience with them.
I finally got around to reading this thread, and the DiMeo family who is suing REMS, were the previous owners of my house which I bought in 1991. Talk about a small world. The suit sounds like it has merit. They are a nice family, I hope they do well.
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
taking an ambulance ride to the hospital is YOUR CHOICE.....whether or not your insurance finds it valid is another story......THERE ARE NO EXPERTS ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR ONE OF A KIND BODY.....pay attention to YOURSELF....dont sit around and wait for someone else.....SURVIVE FOR GOD'S SAKE......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
So what is the latest on where the als money has been going since Jan 1 2011?
Not to mention the hundreds of thousands that is missing from the past few years?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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