82-year-old ‘violently dropped’ from stretcher on the way to dialysis, lawsuit states
An 82-year-old man was “violently dropped” from a stretcher while being transported to get dialysis, leading to his death less than two months after the incident, a lawsuit claims.
Coastal Medical Transport, LLC, was transporting Eugene B. Graham from his home in Loris to a dialysis appointment Sept. 20, 2017, when the wheels of a stretcher became wedged in a crack on the concrete driveway, according to the lawsuit. Transport personnel were unable to correct the wedged wheels and the stretcher tipped over, causing the victim to be “violently dropped” onto the driveway, the suit states.
Graham, who was transported to the emergency room, suffered serious physical injuries, including fractured ribs, an abrasion to his right forearm and a contusion on his temple, the lawsuit claims. The victim was treated and released from the hospital, but readmitted after his mental status “began to decline,” the lawsuit states. He was diagnosed with a multifocal intracerebral bleed, the suit states.
Graham died Nov. 11, 2017, due to a “cascade of medical events,” according to the lawsuit. He was 82 years old, an obituary states.
Lucille Todd Graham, representing the victim, filed the lawsuit against Coastal Medical Transport, LLC, this week in Horry County.
The lawsuit states the transportation company was negligent in failing to safely transport the victim, properly caring for him when boarding him into the ambulance, failing to maintain control of the stretcher and allowing it to flip and fall onto the driveway.
The Sun News has reached out to Coastal Medical Transport for comment.
