Las Vegas family allocates $ 29.5 million in case of allergic reactions

LAS VEGAS (AP) A jury has awarded $ 29.5 million to the family of a woman who suffered brain damage after being treated by an ambulance service in Las Vegas in 2013 for a serious allergic reaction.

Chantel Giacalone, 27, suffered an anaphylactic shock after being caught in a peanut butter crackling while in Las Vegas for a rally, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported Friday.

Giacalone’s lawyer, Christian Morris, said she lost oxygen to her brain for a few minutes after seeking treatment at MedicWest Ambulance, which ran the medical station that day.

Morris argued in a civil lawsuit that MedicWest Ambulance had negligently treated her allergic reaction.

He argued that neither of the two medics on the day had IV adrenaline, an adrenaline treatment for severe allergic reactions required by the southern Nevada Health District. According to evidence during a three-week trial, the requirement was determined by a task force on which the company sits.

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Morris said the medics used intramuscular epinephrine instead, but IVs are needed for complete anaphylaxis.

He argued that the cost of the drug was only $ 2.42. The case claimed more than $ 60 million in damages for medical expenses and emotional distress.

MedicWest denied any wrongdoing, saying the result was unavoidable due to Giacalone’s increased sensitivity to peanuts. Attorney William Drury argued Giacalone never lost consciousness.

‘At least my daughter will be taken care of. I am happy about that, “said Father Jack Giacalone after reading the verdict on Friday. ‘All the trouble we’ve been through for the last eight years, I’m not happy. I just hope MedicWest changes their ways. ”