Ronald Shuck, 76, was carried down the steps of his Phoenix trailer home in a rolling office chair by firefighters who allegedly chose not to use a gurney — and dropped him on his head and back, causing injuries that left him in a vegetative state until his death less than three weeks later, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family.
Background
Shuck's wife placed a 911 call on January 5, 2024, after her husband found himself unable to stand up from the toilet. City of Phoenix firefighters arrived at their residence and initially placed Shuck in a desk chair with rollers to check his vitals, according to the complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. After assessing him, firefighters recommended he be taken to the hospital by ambulance for further evaluation.
When the ambulance arrived, four firefighters allegedly attempted to use the same rolling desk chair to lift Shuck from his porch and navigate down the four steps at the entry of their trailer home. The complaint alleges Shuck was facing backward when the firefighters dropped him as they descended the stairs.
"Ronald fell out of the chair backwards hitting the concrete stairs, cement, and then the ground with his head and upper back," according to the lawsuit. His wife allegedly witnessed the entire incident as her husband suffered broken bones in his back and neck. Shuck immediately complained of intense head pain and back pain, the document stated.
Shuck was transported to a hospital where he was diagnosed with injuries caused by the fall, per the complaint. He remained hospitalized in a vegetative state until his death on January 23, 2024 — 18 days after the alleged mishandling.
"He could no longer move or talk, or eat or drink," Shuck's son Ryan Shuck told local NBC affiliate KPNX in February 2024. "Watching him take his last breath was probably the hardest moment of my life."
Ryan Shuck said he doesn't understand why firefighters would choose to use a cheap roller chair with no armrests instead of bringing a gurney for his father, who he described as not being a small person.
"Someone should suffer the consequences for what they did," he told KPNX.
The Investigation
Shuck's wife filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2024 alleging Phoenix Fire Department firefighters were "improperly trained and were grossly negligent" in the care provided to her husband. The complaint alleged the firefighters failed to provide Shuck with a safe transfer and recklessly created an unsafe condition.
"The defendants knew or should have known that they created or allowed to exist a hazardous and dangerous situation in which a member of the general public could be injured," the lawsuit stated. "He was unable to walk and should have been carried out to the ambulance on a gurney and/or proper transport device with restraints and straps."
Last week, the Phoenix City Council voted unanimously during a July 1 meeting to approve a $605,000 settlement to Shuck's wife in connection with her wrongful death claim. The city of Phoenix did not respond to Law&Crime's requests for comment.
Key Takeaways
- Ronald Shuck, 76, died January 23, 2024 — 18 days after Phoenix firefighters allegedly dropped him while carrying him down stairs in a rolling office chair instead of using a gurney
- The city of Phoenix agreed to pay $605,000 to settle the family's wrongful death lawsuit
- Firefighters allegedly used a desk chair with rollers and no armrests to transport Shuck down four steps at his trailer home entry
- Shuck suffered head and back injuries in the fall, including broken bones in his back and neck
- The family alleged firefighters were "grossly negligent" and improperly trained in safe patient transfer procedures
What's Next
The settlement has been finalized following the Phoenix City Council's unanimous approval. No criminal charges have been filed against any firefighters involved in the incident, and it remains unclear whether any disciplinary action has been taken within the Fire Department.