Members of the Shreveport Fire Department, as well as many people in the community, were stunned to learn that Traci Adams, the widow of Shreveport Fire Department Battalion Chief Tommy Adams, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Shreveport in District Court.The lawsuit, says his death "resulted from substandard care and treatment" and a "breach of applicable medical standards" by Fire Department personnel. "Shreveport Fire Department personnel failed to adequately secure an airway, failed to provide supplemental oxygen and failed to take appropriate measures consistent with applicable medical standards resulting in (Adams') oxygen deprivation and resulting brain damage.”
Mrs. Adams also faulted EMS Personnel for transporting him to Willis-Knighton Pierremont rather than the trauma center at LSU Medical Center.
Adams, 52, died last December of complications from his injuries. He had been in a comatose state since February 2009, when he fell from a ladder truck after a Mardi Gras parade. He suffered neck and traumatic brain injuries.
Fellow firefighters held fundraisers while Adams was injured, orchestrated a honor procession when he returned to Shreveport after treatment in a specialized treatment facility and buried him with honors (video here).
A number of fundraisers were held to help the family pay personal expenses during the time he was hospitalized. According to The Times, his medical expenses were paid by worker’s compensaton, and Ms. Adams received a payout from his life insurance policy. She also received benefits from his retirement account.
Mayor Cedric Glover and Fire Chief Brian Crawford released a statement which says "The brave men and women of the Shreveport Fire Department are extremely disappointed in the lawsuit filed and the allegations that have been made against the city of Shreveport and its employees by Mrs. Traci Adams. Needless to say, we will vigorously and aggressively defend the lawsuit and will refute each and every allegation in the petition."
An opinion piece written by Traci Adams for publication in The Times July 19, states, "I will be forever grateful for those who responded to him in his greatest time of need, the night of Feb. 21, 2009."
"You have saved us," she wrote, referring to the "brotherhood" of firefighters who responded to her family's cry for help. "Thank you for all your hard work, dedication, love, prayers and support. I am forever in your debt."
Before her husband's return home, firefighters helped remodel the Adams' Shreveport home in June to make it suitable for his recovery. At the time, she said, "You can feel the love being built."
This sickens me.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some ambulance chaser smelled a big payday and convinced her that her husband's care was not good.
ReplyDeleteIts real simple, if she had done this after the accident she couldn't have strung everyone along to raise money and remodel her house. It's not just what she's doing, it's the way shes doing it
ReplyDeleteif the EMS on duty did not act properly, the the suit is legitamate. This should not be tried in the press.
ReplyDeleteIts never an easy decision to file a lawsuit. And we should not gang up on someone without knowing all the facts.
This is troubling, Jim. I have a blog buddy Firefighter who lives in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteHe was truly upset about the death of Chief Adams...it came across his radar because he is in the FireFighter loop, and contacted me post haste to give his condolences to a local citizen that had lost a hero. I almost hate to forward this on to him. But, I think I should.
I'm holding my powder on this one (as I usually do). I do not know personally what one goes through in the days, weeks, or months, that follow the death of a spouse.
My hope is that Mrs. Adams will find peace. We ALL know the outpouring of love, concern, financial help, etc. that followed Chief Adams' accident. I would hope that his widow will find "peace" in that love.
We shall see...
Just curious, but why do we call fireman heroes? They work a couple of days a week most of the time playing ping pong or poker and get paid for it.
ReplyDeletewho is this lady's lawyer?
ReplyDeleteJohn Hammons is her lawyer, does medical malpractice mostly.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to address Anonymous (at 10:18 am). You pose the question:
ReplyDelete"Just curious, but why do we call fireman heroes? They work a couple of days a week most of the time playing ping pong or poker and get paid for it."
Since you're "curious," (which obviously you are...in more ways than one) we call firemen "heroes" because of the direction they run when a fire breaks out.
We call them heroes because when a blaze starts, they run toward it...not away from it. We call them heroes because they DO sit around often for hours on end waiting to serve us, and never fail to respond (at least not in my experience)
If you, Mr./Ms./whatever Anon can REALLY honestly ask that question, then you obviously have not a shred of common sense.
They are the guys that will respond when you have a heart attack, or when someone you love does (I'm assuming that there is someone you love).
They will run as far up the stairs in a burning building as they can to try to find one living soul.
They will ruin their back forever trying to lift a water-soaked mattress, only to find the child that was "still in there" already dead.
They will chip the body of a dead baby from the windshield of a car involved in a wreck, when that baby was not properly secured in an infant seat...and cry about it 20 years later.
They will...oh, never mind! If you're retarded enough to ask that question, you don't deserve the effort.
Anon local ff...
ReplyDeleteThank you andy i could not have said it better, this person does not have a clue about what we do.
You're a bonehead Andy. Let me get this straight. I suppose that would make me a hero as well. I travel to war ridden countries as a defense contractor and risk my life for the common cause. These brother in laws around here don't know what danger is fellow. I'm not a hero, I signed up for this shit and I get paid for it. The simple truth is most of the fireman down there are there because they couldn’t do anything else and before them there father or brother in law couldn’t do anything else either but got them hired to carry on the tradition of doing nothing.
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ReplyDeleteAnon your ignorance is obvious, maybe your outlook on fireman will change when it is you in need of help!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I hear you!
ReplyDelete"You're a bonehead Andy." Yes, I am. I am a bonehead for ever wasting my time on you.
God bless you...I hope you live long, and prosper. I'm sorry for you that you view your life's work as "shit." And, I'm happy for you that you obviously have not needed the service of a FF.
I have more than once. I hope you never do. They'll probably be playing ping-pong, or cleaning out their belly-button lint or something...
Sheesh...
My bad! I was taught many years ago that rule #1 in blogging is "Don't feed the trolls."
...especially "Anonymous" trolls...
Sorry Jim, I violated the rules.
That's okay Bonehead, sometimes it's necessary :-)
ReplyDeleteHeh! LOL...seriously!
ReplyDeleteAndy I never said that firemen weren’t needed. But painting all firemen with the hero brush is just a bit overdone. The label hero shouldn’t be used loosely as you so often do. It should be reserved for the most heroic acts of bravery where death is almost certain not some bozo saving a cat from a tree.
ReplyDeleteDont waste anymore of your time on this dumb*** Andy
ReplyDelete,,
ReplyDeleteFolks, none of this is meant to dispute that firefighters are valuable to the communities in which they work. They are. But our society is packed with unheralded heroes—small-town physicians, teachers in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, people who work in dirty, dangerous jobs like coal-mining to support a family. A firefighter plunging into a burning house to retrieve a frightened, smoke-blinded child is a hero. But let's save the encomiums for when they are truly deserved, not when they just show up to do their job.
ReplyDeleteAnon- I'm prior military and a professional firefighter. I'm a college educated individual and had other opportunities in life just like everyone else. I chose to be a firefighter because, as corny and cliche as it sounds, I thought of it as a calling. Your words are just a bit abrasive when you haven't experienced what you speak of. I respect your opinion though, as I have also personally defended your right to it.
ReplyDeleteYeah Jim...have you thought about writing a book?
ReplyDeleteIt'd be bitchin'!!!
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