Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
A proposal to pay $5 million to the family of a former Marine who suffered a heart attack and later died after paramedics left him on the floor of his West Side apartment, is set for a final vote by the Chicago City Council on Wednesday.
Two paramedics responded to a 911 call at 1:45 p.m. Feb. 20, 2019, requesting a well-being check on Whitfield Marshall, 64, who lived in the 1600 block of West Madison Street. They found Marshall, a former Marine working as a car mechanic, “face down on the floor” but failed to provide emergency medical care or take him to a nearby hospital, according to the lawsuit filed by his family.
Those paramedics spent less than 15 seconds assessing Marshall’s condition, a lawyer for the city told members of the Chicago City Council.
The City Council’s Finance Committee endorsed the measure Monday, sending it to the full Chicago City Council meeting set for Wednesday for a final vote. Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward) was the only committee member who voted against the settlement, saying he did not think a jury would award Marshall’s family $5 million.
Those remarks brought an indirect rebuke from Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) who said he was distressed that the discussion did not reflect the level of “grief” he felt about Marshall’s death.
The proposed settlement of $5 million is “more than justified,” La Spata said.
More than four hours after the 911 call, Marshall’s grandson arrived at the apartment to find his grandfather alive, but seriously ill. Finally in an ambulance and on his way to the hospital, Marshall suffered a heart attack. He died three days later.
Neither paramedic named in the lawsuit remains a member of the Chicago Fire Department, according to city records.
In other action, the Finance Committee endorsed a recommendation from city lawyers to pay $2 million to a woman seriously injured when a light pole fell and struck her as she walked along LaSalle Street near the Thompson Center in November 2019.
The woman suffered injuries that left her face and leg scarred, city lawyers told the Finance Committee meeting.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
