Paramedic sues over friend’s death in ambulance fall
A PARAMEDIC has taken a High Court action following an accident in which his lifelong friend and co-worker fell to his death from the side door of an ambulance.
PJ Cahill, 49, has sued the HSE as well as the German manufacturer of the ambulance, claiming he has suffered psychological injuries, including depression, as a result of the trauma of the incident which killed Simon Sexton in June 2010.
The court was told by Frank Callanan SC, for Mr Cahill, that his client had been driving the ambulance, which was transporting a patient from Cavan to Dublin, when the accident occurred. Mr Sexton had been seated in the rear of the vehicle.
‘Some short distance into the journey, an issue arose in the rear as to whether the side door of the ambulance was shut,’ he said. ‘Mr Sexton got up to secure the door while the ambulance, driven by Mr Cahill, was proceeding towards Dublin at speed.’
He said a nurse, who had also been on board the ambulance, told the inquest into Mr Sexton’s death that ‘suddenly the door opened and, for a split second, the paramedic seemed to be in control of the door, when it swung wide open and Mr Sexton was thrown from the ambulance’.
Mr Callanan added: ‘What Mr Cahill saw from his rear-view mirror was his friend and colleague Mr Sexton flying through the air. Mr Sexton struck the road... and effectively sustained fatal head injuries.’
He said Mr Cahill stopped the ambulance and ran to his injured friend, who was unresponsive. With the aid of the nurse, he attempted to resuscitate Mr Sexton.
Giving evidence, Mr Cahill said that he ‘jammed my brakes on’ after he saw Mr Sexton’s head ‘hitting the road’.
When a second ambulance arrived, Mr Cahill travelled with his friend and continued his resuscitation attempt until they arrived at Cavan General Hospital, where Mr Sexton was pronounced dead.
Mr Callanan said it was alleged that the HSE did nothing to help married father-ofthree Mr Cahill, from Laragh, Co. Cavan, on his return to work ‘when it must have been obvious that something was wrong’.
He said it was also alleged that the ambulance was unsafe. He noted that the District Court had fined the HSE €500,000 following the death of Mr Sexton.
During that case, it emerged the HSE was aware of safety defects in the side doors of the ambulance, Mr Callanan said.
The second defendant in the High Court case is Wietmarcher Ambulance und Sonderf Ahrzeng GMBH, the manufacturer of the vehicle. Liability against both defendants remains fully at issue, Mr Callanan added. The case continues.