Ambulance Providers’ Immunity Narrowed by Illinois High Court

An ambulance company can be held liable for an accident that occurred while it was on its way to pick up a patient for nonemergency transport, Illinois’ top court said.

The Emergency Medical Services Systems Act’s immunity provision applies to an ambulance operator only when the crew is engaged in providing emergency services to a patient “before or during” transportation, a split Illinois Supreme Court said Thursday.

Roberto Hernandez was injured when his car was struck in a downtown Chicago intersection by a Lifeline Ambulance LLC vehicle that ran a red light. A state trial court dismissed Hernandez’s negligence claims, ...