A federal court has ruled that paramedics and the City of Southfield, Michigan, are not liable in a civil lawsuit stemming from the mistaken declaration of death of Timesha Beauchamp in 2020. The court found that first responders were immune from claims that they violated Beauchamp's civil rights, as their actions did not constitute a "private act of violence."

Beauchamp, a 20-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, was declared dead at her home after paramedics attempted resuscitation for approximately 30 minutes. Despite signs of life, such as continued respiration and electrical heart activity observed by family and recorded by medical equipment, first responders pronounced her dead and contacted a physician for permission to cease resuscitation efforts, though they had already stopped minutes prior. A funeral home employee subsequently placed Beauchamp in a body bag.

Two hours later, an embalmer discovered Beauchamp alive and gasping for air. She was rushed to a hospital and placed on a ventilator, but tragically succumbed to an anoxic brain injury six weeks later.

Beauchamp's estate filed a lawsuit alleging that the first responders' actions created a dangerous situation that led to a "private act of violence" against her. However, the court disagreed, stating that the paramedics' mistaken belief that Beauchamp was deceased, followed by their leaving her in the care of her family for standard funeral procedures, did not expose her to such violence.

The court’s decision affirmed a previous dismissal of the case by a federal judge in 2022, which also granted qualified immunity to the paramedics. The estate's appeal was heard by a three-judge panel in 2023. U.S. Circuit Judge Julia Gibbons, writing for the panel, expressed difficulty in understanding the plaintiff's theory of "state-created danger" under the circumstances.

This ruling provides legal protection to the first responders involved in this tragic incident.