Man sues ambulance that hit him and charged him R31k for the pleasure

A man in America is suing an Oregon ambulance service for billing him $1,800 (R31,263) after he was hit by an ambulance, which then took him to the hospital.

According to People, the 71-year-old man was riding his bicycle in October 2022 when an ambulance allegedly made a sudden right turn in front of him, causing him to crash into the side of the emergency vehicle. 

His bicycle was damaged in the incident. He also sustained a fractured nose and other injuries. The man received medical assistance at the scene before the same ambulance drove him to the hospital. 

He was shocked when he later received a bill from the ambulance service. 

His lawyers say the accident has already cost him $47,000 (R816,312) in medical expenses. He is now suing the ambulance service for $900,000 (R15,631,513).

"The injuries have caused plaintiff to experience pain, stiffness, tenderness, discomfort, impaired range of motion, reduced grip strength, and other symptoms,” his complaint reads, according to People. 

According to OregonLive.com, the driver who struck the man and his passenger "estimated the ambulance was going between 2mph and 10mph when they heard a thump, stopped" and saw the injured man. 

Social media users have reacted with shock to the news.

"That's just wrong. Hopefully, that was just an error by the billing company," one X user commented. 

Another user wrote: "Welcome to America." A third said: "First, you get hit by an ambulance, then you get hit with a bill. Talk about a double whammy!"

One social media user said he hoped the incident would put the price of ambulance services in the spotlight. 

"Hopefully, this situation sparks a broader conversation about medical transport charges and fairness," he wrote. 

ALSO READ: Man who was declared dead revived after ambulance hit pothole

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