Man Died of Heart Attack; Family Plans Suit

The medical examiner has determined that a heart attack was the cause of death for a 39-year-old Northeast Washington man whose family said paramedics told him he had acid reflux and did not take him to a hospital when he complained of chest pains and trouble breathing.

An attorney for the family said yesterday it is preparing to sue the city for "individual acts of negligence" and "systemic errors" in providing emergency medical care.

"If the fire department had transported him to the hospital when he first called, he would be alive today," said William Lightfoot, representing the family of Edward L. Givens.

The District settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit over missteps in emergency medical services two years ago, promising the family of retired New York Times journalist David E. Rosenbaum that it would make operational reforms. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) appointed a task force, and the city's fire chief said he has been implementing its recommendations.

Givens was not breathing when a relative found him lying in a hallway early on the morning of Dec. 3.

Six hours earlier, paramedics who had responded to a 911 call at the family home had said Givens's vital signs were normal and told him to take an antacid for indigestion, family members said.

Beverly Fields, chief of staff for the D.C. office of the chief medical examiner, said in an e-mail that an autopsy found that Givens died from "occlusive coronary atherosclerosis due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease." In layman's terms, Givens had heart disease, and his arteries became so clogged that the disruption to blood flow was fatal. Chest discomfort and shortness of breath are typical warning signs of a heart attack.

D.C. Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin has asked the city's inspector general to investigate the agency's actions in regard to Givens, and D.C. Attorney General Peter J. Nickles said the city would conduct an operational review of the matter.

A fire department spokesman said yesterday that he had not seen the coroner's report and referred all requests for comment to Nickles.

Nickles said he has reviewed a draft of the operational report on the Givens case but said a final version will not be completed until the medical examiner's office concludes its evaluation. He also said he was unaware that the medical examiner had determined a cause of death.

He would not comment yesterday on the operational report but said, "The city gets sued all the time."

"Bill's a good lawyer, and I look forward to seeing him in court," Nickles added.