Man Sent Bill After Father Dies Waiting for Ambulance (VIDEO)
A Washington, D.C. man has been sent a bill after his father reportedly died while waiting for medical assistance.
"I feel angry, upset," Durand Ford, Jr. told NBC News4. "I'm disturbed that we even received this bill," he explained.
On New Year's Day, Ford's father began experiencing difficulty breathing. Ford, Jr. called 911 at 1:25 a.m., but records show that an ambulance did not arrive at the home until 1:58 a.m. While a fire truck arrived within 10 minutes of the call, an ambulance was not readily available.
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However, according to the record log, a call did not go out for an ambulance until 1:47 a.m., a full 20 minutes after the original call to 911. By the time the ambulance finally arrived at 1:58 a.m., Ford, Sr. had passed away.
"We're still grieving about the situation. We're very angry about what happened and the service we did not receive from the district," Ford, Jr. told NBC.
The bill was just another reminder of the painful loss of Ford, Sr. Now the family must decide whether to pay the bill or fight the charges. While the family has not said what it intends to do, others have offered their own opinions and advice about the situation.
"Tell them to sue you and see who the judge sides with. My guess is common sense will prevail," noted Daily Mail reader Mel D.
"Sorry, but you still have to pay the bill. It doesn't seem right, but just like [with] doctors, you have to pay. A doctor once told me, 'I can't help you,' when I had the flu, and she charged me $500 … we have to pay," added Francis S. Key.
D.C. Councilwoman Yvette Alexander has offered to help the family settle the matter and noted that "in similar circumstances," families were not billed.
"This seems quite unusual, and I will help the family resolve this matter," she told NBC.
Watch an interview with Ford, Jr. HERE:
