12.5 Million reasons to lock your unit.

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A lesson in not leaving your ambulance unlocked!

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Catastrophic Ambulance Collision Lawsuit Settles for $12.5 Million

Northwest Texas Healthcare System of Amarillo, Texas, has agreed to pay $12.5

million to the family of a man killed five years ago when a stolen hospital

ambulance slammed into their minivan. The civil suit was settled after a court

hearing in Judge Board's 181st District Court in Potter County, Texas.

Ricky Dewayne Chavez, 33, died Aug. 1, 1999, from injuries suffered when a

stolen ambulance, driven by Sue Whiteagle, crashed into the Chavez's

family van. Also injured in the accident were his wife, Tina Grady Chavez, and

three children, Shelby Delaine Grady, Ricky Chavez and Selena aynea

Chavez.

Mrs. Chavez suffered irreparable brain damage, leaving her unable to speak or

feed herself. Shelby required several surgeries as a result of severe head

trauma. The two other children also suffered physical injuries.

" No amount of money will ever fix what happened to this family, " says Dallas

attorney L. Branson, who represented Mrs. Chavez and two of the children

in their lawsuit against Northwest Texas Healthcare System, Northwest Texas

Hospital, Amarillo Medical Services, Universal Health Services and two

paramedics.

" This settlement will help them cover the overwhelming medical costs they

continue to incur as a result of this horrific accident. It also will hopefully

shed light on the inadequate security measures around the hospital so that

nothing like this will happen again and destroy another family, " Mr.

Branson says.

Ms. Whiteagle was admitted to Northwest Texas Hospital on Aug. 1, 1999, for a

psychological evaluation. Despite diagnoses of psychosis, situational depression

and outward symptoms of mental illness, she was discharged with only

instructions to seek assistance from a state-run facility. As she left the

hospital, she entered an unlocked ambulance, with its engine running, left

unattended by the two paramedics. The theft of the ambulance was captured on a

hospital security camera, but neither of the two security guards on duty

attempted to stop Ms. Whiteagle.

Shortly after speeding away in the ambulance, Ms. Whiteagle drove through a stop

sign, crashing into the Chavez family's Ford Aerostar minivan. Witnesses told

Amarillo police investigators that " the ambulance was traveling at a very high

rate of speed " and " the people in the minivan had no chance to react. "

The lawsuit alleged the hospital and paramedics were negligent for not providing

proper care to Ms. Whiteagle and for leaving the ambulance unattended, unlocked

and running.

In November of 2000, Ms. Whiteagle pled guilty to manslaughter in connection to

the accident and was sentenced to eight years' confinement in the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division.

For more information on the case involving the Chavez family and the settlement

with Northwest Texas Healthcare System, contact Branson at or

Mike Androvett at or mike@... .

The comments contained in this correspondence are the sole responsibility of the

author. They do not necessarily reflect the thoughts, feelings, or opinions of

my employer, or any other group or organization that I may be, am perceived to

be, have been or will be involved with in the future. They are my own comments,

submitted freely and they are worth exactly what you paid for them.

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