Michigan City Agrees to $3.25 Million Settlement in Woman's Premature Declaration Case
The city of Port Huron, Michigan, has officially approved a substantial $3.25 million settlement regarding a highly unusual and distressing incident from 2023. This legal resolution addresses the trauma endured by a 61-year-old woman who was mistakenly declared deceased by first responders and subsequently transported to a funeral home inside a body bag. The settlement, ratified unanimously by the City Council, aims to provide compensation for the gross error and the emotional suffering caused to the woman and her family. The harrowing event unfolded on a morning in late March when emergency services were dispatched to the woman's residence following a 911 call reporting a possible overdose. Upon arrival, paramedics and police officers discovered the woman unresponsive and showing no detectable vital signs. Based on their assessment at the scene, the responders made the erroneous decision to pronounce her dead. Following standard protocol for the deceased, they wrapped her in a sheet, zipped her into a black body bag, and placed her onto a gurney for transport to a local mortuary. The shocking mistake was discovered only after the body bag was delivered to the Maxwell’s Funeral Home in Port Huron. Funeral home staff began the process of preparing the body for embalming. It was during this preparation that the staff realized, to their horror, that the woman was not only alive but also breathing. Immediate action was taken, and emergency medical services were called back to the facility. The woman was rushed to McLaren Port Huron Hospital, where she was treated and survived the ordeal. In the aftermath of the discovery, the woman, identified as time magazine contributor Robin L. Lamb, spoke out about the terrifying experience. She described waking up inside the body bag, feeling disoriented and unable to move or speak, with the distinct sensation of being trapped. Her account painted a gruesome picture of the hours she spent trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead, a situation she attributed to a catastrophic failure of the emergency response system. The lawsuit filed by Lamb’s legal team alleged gross negligence and medical malpractice on the part of the city and its emergency personnel. The complaint argued that the responders failed to conduct adequate assessments to confirm death, including failing to check for a pulse or breathing over a sufficient period of time, which is standard medical practice. Furthermore, the suit claimed that the woman was mishandled during the transportation process, resulting in a cracked sternum and other injuries sustained while being placed in the body bag and moved to the funeral home. The city’s legal defense initially attempted to argue that the responders acted in good faith based on the information available to them at the time. However, facing the prospect of a damaging public trial and the weight of the evidence regarding the woman’s survival and subsequent injuries, the city moved toward a settlement. The $3.25 million agreement is intended to cover medical expenses, legal fees, and compensation for the severe psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, which Lamb has suffered since the event. City officials have expressed deep regret over the incident. The Mayor of Port Huron issued a public apology to Lamb and her family, stating that the city is committed to reviewing its protocols to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. The city’s insurance carrier will cover the bulk of the settlement costs, though the city may be responsible for a deductible. Following the incident, the two paramedics involved were placed on administrative leave and subsequently resigned from their positions. The funeral home staff were praised for their quick thinking and for saving Lamb's life once the error was realized. This case highlights the critical importance of rigorous verification procedures in the determination of death. Medical experts note that while rare, cases of the so-called 'lazarus syndrome' do occur, where patients spontaneously recover after resuscitation efforts have ceased. However, the transportation of a living patient to a funeral home represents a severe breach of safety protocols. The settlement serves as a stark reminder of the liability municipalities face when procedural safeguards fail, and the profound human cost of such errors.
