SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Attorney Geoffrey Fieger has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Southfield EMS Paramedics in the case of Timesha Beauchamp, the woman who was mistakenly declared dead and take to a funeral home.
Southfield FD blasts attorney for 'erroneous claims' on woman found alive at funeral home
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Federal Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that Beauchamp's civil rights were violated.
Timeline reveals moments leading up to Southfield woman falsely pronounced dead
“The State of Michigan has suspended the licenses of the EMS employees involved. All the telemetry evidence shows that Timesha was alive when EMS declared her dead. As a result of being declared dead, she was left without oxygen for 4 hours, suffering severe hypoxic brain damage. Timesha has been hospitalized since these events and remains in critical condition," Fieger said in a news release. "All of this could have been avoided, had more care been taken.”
Back in August, Southfield Fire Department paramedics responded to a home for an unresponsive woman. When they arrived, the fire chief said Beauchamp wasn't breathing; after standard efforts to revive her, first responders determined after about 30 minutes that she was deceased.
“Because there was no indication of foul play, as per standard operating procedure, the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office was contacted and given the medical data. The patient was again determined to have expired and the body was released directly to the family to make arrangements with a funeral home of their choosing,” the chief said in a statement at the time.
Hours later, staff at the James H. Cole funeral home realized Beauchamp was still breathing.
Feiger's office says a state complaint is also likely to be filed.
Beauchamp Suit by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
