Ambulance man sues over injury sustained saving life
Mr De Lara saved a patient from a cardiac arrest
AN ambulance technician who was injured while trying to move an elderly patient whose life he had just saved from a cardiac arrest is suing his bosses for £60,000.
Paul De Lara was off work for a total of eight months and had to walk on crutches for over a year after badly injuring his ankle in an accident caused by the patient’s stairlift.
The 57-year-old, who has worked for the Scottish Ambulance Service for more than three decades, launched the court action against his employers after alleging they were at fault.
The move is the second case to be brought against the service recently after paramedic Lynn Sutherland lodged a £100,000 claim over being violently attacked by a teenage patient.
Mr De Lara’s case, which was called at the Court of Session in Edinburgh last week, involved a midnight dash to the home of an elderly patient who had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Mr De Lara and his colleague managed to resuscitate the patient, who was in the upstairs bedroom, and urgently needed to move the victim to hospital.
The court heard that the stairway of the home was narrow and had a tight bend, while a stairlift had also been fitted to the wall.
Lawyers for Mr De Lara, who lives in Armadale, West Lothian, said that the stairlift was a “significant obstacle to manoeuvring the patient”, and was stuck in a position half-way up the stairway.
A second ambulance crew was called to help and brought a special chair to move the patient, a practice Mr De Lara said he was never trained in.
The court heard that Mr De Lara was needed to lift the chair over the stairlift and went “heavily” over his ankle.
Mr De Lara was taken to St John’s Hospital in Livingston where X-rays revealed he had suffered a ruptured ligament. Doctors put him on anti-inflammatory injections and steroids following the accident, which took place on March 23, 2008, and he later underwent 53 physiotherapy treatments as part of his recovery.
But the court heard that Mr De Lara has been left unable to enjoy his hobbies of running, walking and going to the gym as a result of his injury.
He only returned to full work duties in July 2010 after suffering lost earnings and overtime.
But lawyers for the ambulance service are contesting the case, claiming their employee had given “several versions of how the accident occurred”.
They also contend Mr De Lara was trained in how to carry out a risk assessment, and knew to call for assistance if required.
Allan McDougall Solicitors, the firm representing Mr De Lara, said it had no-one available to comment on the case.
An ambulance service spokesman said it could not comment on an ongoing legal matter.
Last month, the News reported that Ms Sutherland was suing ambulance bosses after being punched and kicked by Grahame Donnelly, 16, after she had raced to his home amid fears he had taken an overdose.
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Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
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Your Voice
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 05:29 PMWhat a sad story, a dedicated ambulance worker injured when trying to save someone's life. A tragic thing to happen and clearly disabling. Good luck to him.
Hazelkaye
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 04:04 PMHe should have been on a 'tea break', then the accident wouldn't have happened!
Jingsitsme
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 04:00 PMit stinks! Money grabbing and another person just don't want to earn a living. Obviously got too comfy being off sick. Very sad. He had a phone and if he followed procedure would have called for help. He soon called for it for himself!! One big chancer or con artist whatever you want to say it is. Absolutely so sympathy for him and it is not newsworthy story!
grumpyscot
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 03:34 PMSomeone's been watching the TV commercials again. "Hurt yourself doing something stupid at work? Feel like blaming someone else and getting loads of money for us out of your claim? Then get us on "scamyouremployersforextracash"
IanW
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 03:23 PMSo yet another case of 'let's blame the bosses when I f**k up'. Firstly if he had not been trained in using the special chair he should have left it to the crew who brought it. Secondly surely it has own duty of care to walk down the stairs carefully. He was not pushed in any way was he!!! Thirdly, if he felt that he was having problems moving the chair he could have opened his mouth and spoken to his colleagues. - This man is a spounger and should receive nothing.
McIntosh
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 03:11 PMChancer.
admiralfallow
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 03:06 PMMOCO: he's given 30 years service to the nhs, with the bruises to show for it, all for a very modest wage. and you grudge the man a decent pension?
keekibump
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 02:08 PMwhat is the point of Hd cameras and tv s when people constantly distort pictures and tv programs the picture of the ambulances hurt my eyes i may have to seek compensation
MOCO
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 12:55 PMNice wee top up to his public sector pension
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