When life smacks you with a lemon, you’re supposed to make lemonade, right? Well, apparently, when an ambulance hits you, takes you to the hospital for injuries they caused, you’re supposed to fork over $2,000 for that “lemonade.” There better be vodka in it, because this situation comes with a serious legal hangover.
In case you’re confused, yes, this actually happened. In Rainier, Oregon, a 71-year-old cyclist—William Hoesch—was struck by an ambulance that turned directly into him, leaving him with serious injuries that required emergency medical attention. Lucky for him, there was an ambulance right there, as they’d just hit him. Unlucky for him, the same ambulance then sent him an invoice for $1,862 for the honor of the ride to the hospital… for injuries they caused. Imagine breaking someone’s glasses by punching them in the nose and then charging them for the tissue to clean up the mess.
Hoesch, however, isn’t taking this lying down. He’s filed a $1 million lawsuit against the ambulance service, claiming negligence led to the incident. He’s seeking compensation for the $47K in medical expenses he’s incurred so far, anticipated future treatments (they really did a number on him, y’all), and a little something extra for the pain and suffering. The ambulance company has officially entered the “find out” phase of the FAFO cycle, learning the hard way that messing with a fit man in his 70s with time and a strong sense of justice isn’t the brightest idea.
If you’re surprised the ambulance ride cost that much, you probably don’t live in the United States. Here, our “wee-ooo” taxi rides to the hospital are notoriously expensive. In fact, if someone is conscious and not at risk of expiring en route, they’ll often opt for an actual taxi instead. An ambulance striking someone and then trying to turn a profit off the ordeal? Shocking, sure, but not exactly surprising to those who’ve been filling out their late-stage capitalism bingo cards.
This lawsuit isn’t just about Hoesch’s injuries. It’s a larger reminder that public services have a duty to the communities they serve. That includes providing care responsibly and ethically—and, perhaps most importantly, not running people over in the first place.
The moral of the story? If you’re going to smack into an unsuspecting cyclist with your vehicle—and, hi, maybe don’t do that—at least make sure said vehicle doesn’t have the words “emergency” or “rescue” plastered on the side.