MARSHALL - A heart attack victim being transported in an ambulance has filed a lawsuit against the ambulance cot maker after he suffered additional injuries when the ambulance was involved in an accident and the cot came unattached.
Ricky Wayne Fagg filed suit against Stryker Sales Corp. on Sept. 30 in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.
The accident occurred on April 9 as Fagg was being transported for a heart condition. According to the complaint, he was traveling southbound on US 69 in Tyler when the ambulance was struck by another vehicle, which ultimately caused the ambulance to roll over.
Fagg was strapped to a Stryker Power-Pro XT model 6500 ambulance cot which was attached to the ambulance. Although Fagg was wearing the four-point restraint harness and the cot was strapped to the floor of the ambulance, the cot became unattached and allowed him to sustain serious injuries.
The defendant is accused of manufacturing a product that was defective because the Stryker ambulance fails to have a redundant or backup locking mechanism.
The plaintiff is seeking damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement, loss of consortium, interference with daily activities and a reduced capacity to enjoy life, medical expenses, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, interest and court costs.
Fagg is represented by E. Todd Tracy and I. Scott Lidji of The Tracy Firm in Dallas.
U.S. District Judge T. John Ward is assigned to the case.
Case No. 2:11-cvc-00436