Elisha Vaswani
A jury of the city of Las Vegas empathetically awarded $29.5 million to the family of Chantel Giacalone, who suffered severe brain damage after being treated for an allergic reaction by an ambulance service in Las Vegas in the year 2013.
The victim reportedly went into an anaphylactic shock after consuming a piece of pretzel infused with peanut butter.
Giacalone’s lawyer, Christian Morris, stated that her oxygen levels fell, and for a brief moment her brain was deprived of oxygen, minutes after seeking treatment from MedicWest Ambulance, which was on the medic station duty at the time of the incident.
Morris contended that MedicWest Ambulance’s conduct was negligent and was the reason for the fatal consequences that followed.
Morris mentioned that neither of the two medics that day had IV epinephrine, an adrenaline treatment for severe allergic reactions that is required by the Southern Nevada Health District.
The medical responders instead negligently administered intramuscular epinephrine to the patient.
Relying on testimonials of the 21 day long trial, the necessity was established by a task force that is headed by the company.
MedicWest’s team strongly denied any wrongful or negligent act and argued that the outcome was inevitable because of Giacalone’s heightened sensitivity to peanuts.
After being granted nearly 30 million dollars by way of damages, Giacalone’s father appeared content that his daughter shall be taken care of.
Although his dissatisfaction with MedicWest was evident from his words, “All the anguish that we’ve been through for the last eight years, I’m not happy about. I just hope MedicWest changes their ways.”