ROBY CHAVEZ, WTTG WASHINGTON - There are new developments in the death of a two-year-old who was allegedly refused medical transport by an ambulance in southeast D.C.
The family of two-year-old Stephanie Stephens has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against D.C. Fire and EMS and the city. FOX 5 has learned the suit was filed Monday by the toddler's mother.
The two-year-old died last February after her parents called 911 when the toddler was having trouble breathing. Back in March, D.C. Police announced a criminal investigation into a senior paramedic with D.C. Fire and EMS for allegedly refusing to transport a little girl to the hospital.
The lawsuit obtained exclusively by FOX 5 claims three paramedics were in the home for only 10 minutes.
According to the lawsuit, the child was given an inadequate examination and emergency crews refused to take her to the hospital.
The suit also alleges, as first reported on FOX 5, that the child was improperly treated and wrongly diagnosed the child with croup.
Shortly after the case, FOX 5 obtained exclusive information about how long the ambulance crew was inside the home. The documents track Medic 33 as it headed to Southern Avenue during the February blizzard. The computer tracking of the ambulance shows it was dispatched at 4:48 a.m. It arrived 10 minutes later at 4:58 a.m.
Sources also told FOX 5 that the paramedic under investigation was previously demoted from her job as a paramedic supervisor because of past problems. The lawsuit also alleges paramedics have had trouble passing training tests.
The suit goes further and cites improper training of EMTs by D.C. Fire and EMS.
The child was eventually transported eight hours later and died from pneumonia.
To date, there has been no action on the criminal investigation into the case. The suit seeks unspecified damages.