The wife of a fallen Shreveport battalion chief who fell from a fire truck during last year's Mardi Gras parade is suing the city for unspecified monetary damages and court costs, according to the Shreveport Times.
Battalion Chief Tommy Lee Adams' widow Traci Adams claims in lawsuit filed Feb. 19 that co-workers were negligent in his emergency care and their violation of policies and procedures prevented quick transport to a hospital.
The incident occurred on Feb. 21, 2009 with Adams succumbing to his injuries almost a year later on Dec. 12.
The suit claims the battalion chief's airway was not properly cleared, he was not given supplemental oxygen, his spine was not properly stabilized when placing him on the backboard and that he was taken he was taken to WK Pierremont Health Center as opposed to LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
It claims that Adams' cause of death -- "diffuse brain damage" -- was a direct result of injuries caused by "substandard care" and violation of policy and procedures that prevented a timely arrival to a hospital, according to the newspaper.
"The brave men and women of the Shreveport Fire Department are extremely disappointed in the lawsuit filed and the allegations that have been made against the city of Shreveport and its employees by Mrs. Traci Adams," Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover and Fire Chief Brian Crawford wrote in a statement issued on Friday. "Needless to say, we will vigorously and aggressively defend the lawsuit and will refute each and every allegation in the petition."
