New York injury lawyers might have a medical malpractice issue to deal with now that the "FDNY has canceled regular maintenance on the life-saving machines [defibrillators]." The NY Daily News reports that the LifePak 12 defibrillators, in the Advanced Life Suppor ambulances (ALS), that used to receive a tune up every 6 months will no longer be having that service.
Now, the ALS coordinators have been told by the Assistant Chief of EMS John McFarland to "keep all expired LP12s in service."
Hmm... I know that budgets are tight, but do we have to cut the program that would make sure that one of the most necessary pieces of equipment in an ambulance works?
While the FDNY says that the cancelled service is nothing to worry about since the repairs every six months was more than the manufacturer required, the term "expired" does not create a positive image.
If something is expired, that means that you shouldn't use it any more, like milk or medication, because it won't work. The LP12s are checked before every shift, but as one paramedic puts it, "If the device is out of date and fails, who is to say its own self-diagnostic can be trusted?"
The scariest part about this, besides the possibility that the defibrillator may not work when you are on the gurney, is that if the LP12 does not work correctly during the test, that ambulance is sidelined until a working LP12 is put in its place.
An ALS ambulance has everything in it that could save someone in a serious and life-threatening accident. If the LP12 isn't working, the ambulance becomes a BLS (Basic Life Support) ambulance. That means that while they also have defibrillators, they won't have other equipment that is as sophisticated as in an ALS ambulance.
Worst case scenario: you are in need of dire medical attention, and need an ALS ambulance. The closest one is waiting for a new LP12, so you get one of the BLS ambulances or you have to wait a tiny bit longer for an ALS one. In emergencies, we all know that every moment counts.
On this story, we'll have to wait and see if this choice turns into a mistake. Let's hope that no New York injury lawyers are needed for a negligence or a wrongful death case.
- Do you need a New York personal injury lawyer? (FindLaw)
