A good friend of mine is being sued by a former patient . I don’t know if that statement gives you anxiety the way it gives me anxiety. I’ll admit it, I have an underlying fear of having to defend myself and my actions in a court of law. I’m not scared of being held accountable for the medical decisions I make. I feel that I tend to make fairly good decisions, thank you very much, but the legal process can be expensive. And let’s be honest…because this is just you and me talking right? Sometimes the right thing to do is far from clear. In a court of law, everyone is allowed the benefit of months of preparation, and then days and weeks are spent mulling over decisions that were made in real time. In EMS, real time moves faster than you might think. And good, well meaning, experienced paramedics labor to do the right thing. Such was the case on May 24th 2008, when my friend was called to the home of man who wasn’t answering questions appropriately. Gerald Schlenker, a quirky resident of Arvada, CO, was admittedly a bit drunk when he walked back home and went to bed in his own bedroom. He awoke to the Arvada police department in his apartment. They were there to arrest his roommate for his role in some sort of disturbance issue and they wanted him to answer some questions as well. He clammed up. He refused to say anything except rude and non-sensical statements. That’s when my buddy got involved. Have you ever been in this situation before?

Original Source of Safe At Home