2 Joliet Fire Dept. Paramedics Sued, Accused Of Gross Negligence

JOLIET, IL — Two members of a Joliet Fire Department ambulance crew are the subject of a new civil lawsuit filed by attorney Frank Cservenyak's law firm, accusing the two paramedics of multiple counts of willful and wanton misconduct.

The Will County lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs Pamela Sinram and her husband Kevin Sinram against the city of Joliet and Joliet Fire Department paramedics Nicholas Weiss and Ryan Las. The two are accused of multiple counts of willful and wanton gross negligence in the 15-page lawsuit.

"In this case, she has a permanent loss of her right arm, and she's still having significant problems with walking," Joliet attorney Frank Cservenyak told Joliet Patch. "There's a standard of care and we're saying they did nothing.

"They knew she was in a lot of pain and they put her in a chair (then a) backboard and gurney without a cervical collar. In other words, they did nothing to keep her stable."

Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey declined to comment on this week's lawsuit against two members of his department, referring Patch to the city's legal department.

Assistant corporation counsel Chris Regis did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Weiss and Las are Joliet Fire Department paramedics who were acting in the scope of their employment during a medical emergency inside the Joliet home of Pamela Sinram on Jan. 30, 2020, her lawsuit states.

That day, Sinram was walking through her living room when she abruptly tripped and fell forward, striking the left side of her face and head on her coffee table, court records state.

Sinram was unable to get up.

Later, her teenage son arrived home from school and found her on the ground. She remained conscious and told her son what happened, asking him to call 911.

The Joliet Fire Department ambulance crew of Las and Weiss rolled up to Sinram's house as neighbors went to her house and tried to offer her assistance, court documents show.

Pamela Sinram told Las and Weiss how she fell and that she could not get up from the ground after her fall, that she was experiencing pain and numbness in her extremities, according to Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol.

Las and Weiss loaded her into their Joliet Fire ambulance and delivered her to the AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center where doctors determined she had a severe spinal cord compression, prompting her to undergo a lengthy C2-C6 cervical fusion and other invasive spinal decompressing measures, the lawsuit states.

After 10 days of hospitalization and surgeries, Pamela Sinram underwent several more months of inpatient and outpatient occupational rehabilitation as well as in-home courses, according to court records.

The two Joliet paramedics should have known that Sinram was at severe risk for serious injury including a spinal cord injury, if her body was not properly immobilized and secured, the plaintiff's lawyers say.

Instead, Las and Weiss "attempted to sit up and lift Pamela Sinram into a chair while her body and neck were not immobilized, even though (they) knew or should have known that Pamela Sinram's body and neck needed to be immobilized to prevent serious injury, paralysis and or death," the lawsuit states.

Weiss and Las failed to follow Joliet Fire Department emergency medical services' guidelines as well as National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines relating to immobilizing patients suspected of neck injury and a risk for spinal cord injuries, paralysis or death, the lawsuit contends.

The "extreme and outrageous acts of gross negligence" by Joliet paramedics Las and Weiss have caused Pamela Sinram ... "to suffer a loss of normal life, disability and ... permanent scarring and disfigurement," according to lawyer Michael Lichner.

The woman's husband, Kevin Sinram, is suing the city of Joliet and Las and Weiss for loss of consortium.

He and Pamela were married in May 1987 and as a result of the gross negligence by the two paramedics, he may be deprived of his wife's love, support and guidance for the remainder of his life, according to his counts of willful and wanton negligence against the city paramedics.

Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol is asking a Will County jury to award their clients in excess of $50,000 in damages.

Like what you're reading? Invite a friend to subscribe to free Joliet Patch newsletters and real-time email alerts.