** Irish medic sues service, ambulance manufacturer over death of fellow medic/friend
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND NEWS
** A County Cavan medic is suing both his employer and a German ambulance manufacturer after
his friend and fellow practitioner died in June 2010 after falling out of an in-transit ambulance.
That is the word from The Irish Times (March 3) said PJ Cahill, 50, is seeking damages for nervous
shock following his witnessing the incident that killed father-of-six Simon Sexton, 43. According
to the newspaper, Sexton plunged from the EMS unit after going to check on the side door which
seemed not to be closed. As he did so, he was flung out of the vehicle and onto the road. Cahill’s
suit alleges a failure to install a motion lock preventing the door from opening during travel resulted
in Sexton’s death. His claims are being supported by a similar incident in Kerry in 2007 which also
involved a door from an ambulance purchased around the same time as Cahill’s. Both the Health
Services Executive (HSE) and ambulance manufacturer Wietmarscher Ambulanz Und Sonderf
Ahrzeug GMBH have denied responsibility. Since the incident, Cahill said he has suffered
flashbacks and nightmares involving the death of his friend.
