Meyerkord & Meyerkord Win Precedent-Setting Judgment Reversal in Appellate Court

Oct. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Earlier this year, Anthony Thomas called emergency services complaining of trouble breathing and acute chest pains. Licensed emergency medical technician, Michael Brandt, and licensed paramedic, James Loehrer, responded. After spending fifteen minutes checking on Thomas’ vital signs, they diagnosed and treated the symptoms as nothing more than acid reflux. The next day, he died of cardiac arrest.

When taken to trial, the court granted the technicians official immunity in their summary judgment for Thomas v. Brandt, citing the extension to EMTs given by the Eastern District last September in the case of Richardson v. City of St. Louis. This previous case explained that judgment made by emergency personnel is similar to police officers in emergency situations and therefore what was seen as negligent medical treatment deserved similar immunity.

The family of Thomas, however, was not satisfied with this judgment, and did not hesitate to secure the legal assistance of the Missouri law firm Meyerkord & Meyerkord. Although many firms do not have the necessary experience in taking cases to appellate court, the legal team at Meyerkord & Meyerkord was not deterred. Appellate work is dangerous, time consuming and labor intensive, but with experience in cutting edge cases such as this, their team dug in their heels to pursue the rightful outcome.

Due to their comprehensive handling of the case and their creative, hard-hitting legal footwork, they were able to gain a judgment reversal in the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. They were able to prove that since the situation the EMTs were responding to was not an emergency situation, the immunity should not apply.

An emergency, they argued, consists of rapidly progressing conditions that demand immediate reactions. Since Thomas was stable when they responded, the EMTs were given the opportunity to be thoughtful and thorough in their treatment, and failed to uphold their legal duties. Instead, they acted negligently, and a wrongful death occurred as a direct consequence of their failure in proper medical treatment.

Since he was not quickly devolving, they should not have reacted as if he was in a critical situation, but rather as a doctor would treat a patient in a hospital setting. In response to their persistent, aggressive arguing, the appellate court sided with the family of Thomas and overturned the summary judgment of the trial court.

Thanks to their innovative perspective and their fearless approach to the daunting case, Meyerkord & Meyerkord were able to not only win a successful case, but were also able to set a precedent in the state of Missouri. As a direct result of this judgment, a new law regarding immunity and emergency situations involving EMTs will be set into common practice.

If you or a loved one are in need of lawyers who are not afraid to take on complex, difficult cases, you should not hesitate to secure the legal assistance of personal injury law firm http://www.stlouis-personalinjury.com/ Meyerkord & Meyerkord. With a reputation as innovators in the legal field, they stand uniquely able to assist their clients in all cases, no matter if you are seeking assistance in a settlement for medical malpractice http://www.medicalmalpracticeattorneystlouis.com/, aggressive pursuit in a trial case for a car accident or a second chance in an appeal. You can be confident that they will go the distance to help you on your towards your desired result, no matter how risky your case may be.

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Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC is a law firm helping to protect the victims of personal injury accidents in St. Louis, Missouri. With a fearless approach to trial cases, they are not daunted by complex situations, but rather spurred even quicker to action. They pride themselves as being innovators, not imitators, and are not afraid to take on the cases too difficult and time-consuming for other firms. Although well-versed in all areas of personal injury law, they are uniquely prepared to handle those in appellate court. If you or a loved one are in need of comprehensive, creative legal assistance in the wake of a personal injury accident, do not hesitate to contact their firm. To learn more, feel free to visit: http://www.stlouis-personalinjury.com/.