Q: Do I have recourse against EMTs and ER attendants who verbally and physically abused me? Can I refuse a bill?
Earlier this month I had what turned out to be a migraine with aura that was so severe I could not stand and was barely verbal. The EMTs who responded assumed, based on my medication for mental illness, that I was having a psychotic break. I protested as well as I could, but was very weak. They repeatedly yanked on my arms to get me off of the floor, insisting I was faking, then insisted that I be admitted to the Behavioral Health ER where they told the staff that my physical symptoms were an act. I was sedated when my migraine had subsided some and I asked to see a medial doctor and I was held against my will overnight. The psychiatrist I spoke with in the morning immediately assessed that I had no psychiatric reason to be hospitalized and discharged me when I told her what happened; a follow-up visit with my doctor has confirmed that I had almost certainly been suffering from a severe migraine.
A: Yes, but it won't be that big a case. Contact a member of the MassAcademy of Trial Lawyers in your county.
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