Widow sues Ambulance Victoria after husband’s shock death

A widow is suing Ambulance Victoria, alleging paramedics inaccurately diagnosed her husband with anxiety and did not recognise he was critically ill.

A widow is suing Ambulance Victoria for negligence, alleging paramedics inaccurately diagnosed her late husband with anxiety instead of recognising he was critically ill and needed to be taken to ­hospital.

Carmen Olariu, 36, says the organisation was vicariously ­liable for her husband Alan Begic’s death due to “acts and omissions” made by attending paramedics, who she alleges failed to exercise “reasonable care”.

On June 10, 2016, Mr Begic, 34, was suffering chest pain and unable to breathe properly, prompting Ms Olariu to call triple-0 at 5am.

Fourteen minutes later paramedics arrived at the couple’s Port Melbourne home and performed an initial examination, recording Mr Begic had tingling in both hands, was unable to breathe, felt anxious and dizzy and was “hyperventilating and clammy” with tetany.

They concluded he was suffering anxiety and there was “no immediate life threat”, a statement of claim filed in the Supreme Court states.

Carmen Olariu is claiming Ambulance Victoria is vicariously ­liable for her husband Alan Begic’s death due to ‘acts and omissions’.

Ms Olariu says paramedics should have known her husband’s symptoms – an elevated heart rate combined with an elevated respiratory rate – ­indicated serious illness and should have been treated that way.

Paramedics did not administer oxygen or IV fluid resuscitation and failed to take him to hospital initially, which caused a “substantial delay” in appropriate treatment, it is alleged.

More than an hour after Ambulance Victoria arrived at his home, Mr Begic suffered two cardiac arrests.

He was not transferred to an ambulance until 7.28am.

Doctors pronounced the ­accounts manager dead at 10.05am due to acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Ms Olariu is seeking compensation for injury, loss and damage following the “shocking events” in her home and in hospital and the subsequent loss of her husband.

Her lawyer, Naty Guerrero Diaz, of Slater and Gordon, said Ms Olariu had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression as well as anxious distress as a result of the botched response.

Ms Olariu was “wholly ­dependent” on her husband’s income at the time.

Ambulance Victoria was contacted for comment and said: “As the matter is before the courts it would not be ­appropriate to comment.”