Attorney
Washington, D.C. has faced a variety of problems over the past year – from fatal public transportation accidents to record snowfalls. Now it appears that D.C. emergency services are facing problems of their own. D.C. Fire and EMS has been experiencing severe delays of late. The department that handles these services had to bring in six additional units last week. D.C. Fire said it received so many emergency calls that it was impossible for the fire department to keep up with them.
Paramedics met a Southeast D.C. man with a gunshot wound in three minutes but then took nearly 30 minutes to get him to the hospital. A representative for D.C. Fire and EMS said the call occurred during rush hour, so the added congestion contributed to the delay. Other factors that authorities cited for causing the delays of emergency vehicles were an early arrival of warm weather (more people out and about outside), sporting events, and events going on at the White House.
Even if calls have spread Washington D.C. emergency services too thin, emergency providers still owe duties of care to victims. The government must still properly train emergency providers. The providers should still provide proper care and take reasonable actions when caring for victims. In other words, being spread too thin should not be an excuse to put your life in jeopardy.
Contact a Washington, D.C. personal injury attorney at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P if emergency responders have failed to provide you or a loved one with proper medical or emergency care. An experienced attorney like Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyer like William P. Lightfoot can obtain compensation for your injuries.