US /

Drunk Man Jumps Out of Ambulance, Sues Medics

He says they should have stopped him
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 20, 2017 4:43 PM CDT
Drunk Man Jumps Out of Ambulance, Sues Medics
Stock image   (Getty Images/tazytaz)

A New York City man who says the city didn't do enough to keep him from drunkenly jumping out of the back of a moving ambulance has filed a lawsuit, the AP reports. Yaugeni Kralkin says he was intoxicated last June when he was picked up by EMTs. According to the New York Times, Kralkin was upset at getting an unfriendly welcome from his family when he returned home from work, so he drank a bottle of cognac and went for a walk. Court documents show police were needed to put the 54-year-old in an ambulance because he was being uncooperative. On the way to the hospital, he was able to unbuckle the straps on his stretcher and open the back door of the moving ambulance to jump out.

The lawsuit says officials found Kralkin unconscious in the street with severe injuries. Kralkin says medics are liable for his actions because he was so drunk—likely with a BAC over .34. "He certainly did get himself out of the ambulance, but our position is that he was so grossly unsober ... that the condition he was in rendered him the equivalent of helpless ... to make informed decisions about his own safety," Kralkin's lawyer says. A paramedic spokesperson says medics don't have the right to restrain people against their will. Kralkin is suing the city, the fire department, and responding medics for unspecified damages. (More drunk stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X