Family member sues Medstar and EMTs claiming patient was left in distress

A man’s relative has filed suit against the ambulance workers who she claims left him at a hospital without explaining to staff that he was in distress.

Nichole Kempfer claims defendant Medstar and Emergency Medical Technicians Jessy Hassard and Kristan Wilson transported John R. Poole Sr. to the hospital without first securing his airway and without notifying the hospital that he was in distress.

Poole was dropped off at defendant St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis on Sept. 7, 2011. Once there, hospital staff failed to timely expedite dialysis and instruct Poole to remain at bedrest, according to the complaint filed Dec. 27 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

As a result, Poole died on Sept. 7, 2011, the suit states.

Due to Poole’s death, Kempfer suffered from grief and sorrow and was deprived of his services, compansionship, comfort, instruction, guidance, counsel, training, love and support, the complaint says.

In her three-count complaint, Kempfer is seeking a judgment of more than $200,000, plus costs.

She will be represented by Joseph A. Bartholomew of Cook, Ysursa, Bartholomew, Brauer and Shevlin in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-678.