Connecticut Ambulance Company to Pay for Ex-Worker’s Surgery

A former emergency medical technician who says he contracted hepatitis C on the job will receive a liver transplant and post-operative care paid for in a settlement with Danbury Ambulance and its insurance carrier.

The News Times of Danbury reports that Joe Tomaso fought for workers’ compensation benefits and medical care for more than a decade. He said he contracted hepatitis C during a routine call in 1998.

The state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission has approved the agreement with the 48-year-old Tomaso for a liver transplant and care that could cost more than $1 million.

Jason Dodge, a lawyer for the ambulance company, declined to comment to the newspaper.

Don Lundy, president-elect of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, says it’s rare for a company to pay for a transplant and post-surgical care.