Ambulance Authority Ordered to Pay Over One Million Dollars

An ambulance company and a dispatch company have been court-ordered to pay a fine for their slow response that resulted in a West Virginia teenager’s death. The Gazette-Mail reported Kanawha County Ambulance Authority and Kanawha Metro 911 were ordered Monday to pay a total of $1.4 million to 15-year-old Leland Brown II’s family for “failure to provide timely and proper care.” Brown’s mother called 911 when he collapsed May 24, 2014. The lawsuit said one hour and one minute after the first call — after getting lost and failing to administer medication commonly used for Brown’s symptoms — Brown was pronounced dead at a hospital from cardiac arrest. It said Brown died the same day a funeral was held for an industry member, and ambulance stations weren’t properly covered.