Paramedics’ alleged mistakes in girl’s death likely to cost taxpayers

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com February 14, 2012 1:02AM
Chicago taxpayers will likely spend $1.75 million to compensate the family of a 13-year-old girl who died of bronchial asthma in 2002 after a string of alleged mistakes made by Chicago Fire Department paramedics.

Arielle Starks died at Advocate Trinity Hospital after an ambulance carrying her to the hospital collided with a car at 87th and Langley. Another ambulance picked up Arielle and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

At the time, the Chicago Fire Department insisted that Starks was “close to death” when paramedics arrived on the scene, that her medical treatment was never interrupted and that she was getting oxygen, but still “not breathing.”

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