Metro Nashville EMTs had "no duty" to summon outside aid, court says

Saturday, November 24, 2012

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Metro government in a case about the response of emergency workers to an accident.

The Tennessean reports the court found that Metro Nashville had "no duty" to summon emergency aid from neighboring jurisdictions even if workers there are closer to the scene.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Lori Gregory after her son, James Ballentine, died in a 2010 crash near the Robertson County line. Gregory argued that instead of waiting 10 to 15 minutes for emergency aid from Davidson County, dispatchers should have asked for aid from Robertson County, which could have arrived within three minutes.

Her attorney, John Herbison, said it is the first case in the state to deal with the issue and could set precedent.