Need to know
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The family of a woman who was wrongly pronounced dead is receiving a $3.25 million settlement
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Timeshaw Beauchamp, who had cerebral palsy, died in October 2020, two months after she was wrongly pronounced dead.
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After the 20-year-old woman’s death, her family was engaged in a years-long legal battle
The family of a woman who was wrongly declared dead has received a multi-million dollar settlement.
Timesa Beauchamp, who had cerebral palsy, was pronounced dead by an emergency room doctor at her home in Southfield, Mich., over the phone in August 2020. She was 20 years old.
When Beauchamp later arrived at the funeral home, a worker, who was preparing to embalmer the woman’s body, found her breathing with her eyes open.
Beauchamp was rushed to a hospital, but died in October of “massive brain damage” from not being given oxygen for too long, when his family’s lawyer, Jeffrey Figer of Figer Law, wrongfully said he had died.
Now, Beauchamp’s family is getting a $3.25 million settlement, the figure Law confirmed. “After years of hard-fought litigation, we were able to obtain justice for Timeshaw and his family,” the law firm said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Like many of the families and individuals we represent, this is a bittersweet moment for the family. They are able to close this chapter in their lives, but nothing can bring Timeshaw back,” continued Figure Law.
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Southfield, Mich. Officials responded to the settlement in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“We recognize that no resolution can undo the profound tragedy that occurred on August 23, 2020, or alleviate the pain experienced by Ms. Beauchamp’s family,” they said. “This case involves extraordinarily difficult circumstances that arose in the complex world of a global pandemic.”
“The City respects the judicial process and believes that the complexity of these cases and the emotional impact on all parties have been resolved through an appropriate resolution at this time. The City is committed to providing high quality emergency medical services to our community and hopes that this settlement will allow all parties to move forward,” officials continued.
Fieger Law Timesha Beauchamp (left) and family members (right).
Back in 2020, a spokesperson for the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office told PEOPLE that Beauchamp’s declaration of death was based on real-time medical data, including heart rate and breathing, that was provided by responding officers and EMS personnel.
In a previous statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the Southfield Fire Department said responding officers “followed all appropriate city, county and state protocols and procedures in this case.”
Beauchamp’s family eventually sued Southfield EMS paramedics for $50 million for declaring her dead when she was “very much alive,” attorney Fieger said in an earlier statement.
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Last year, on the five-year anniversary of Beauchamp’s death, his mother, Erica Lattimore, said she had no plans to stop seeking justice for her child.
“I’m not giving up,” Lattimore said, per WDIV-TV. “I will go through the long journey, however long it takes. He lived 20 years. If it takes another 20 years to get to a court hearing and God gives me breath, I’m there.”
Read the original article on People
