Most EMS litigation occurs not from what the EMS professional did, but rather, from what he or she did not do. In patient refusals, it is understood that the EMS professional is the expert in knowing whether a patient should be treated and transported, not a patient who may be in an altered state of consciousness and thus unable to make decisions. Refusals are high-risk situations medico-legally. Written documentation is the key to avoiding the minefield.
