I-TEAM UPDATE: Family of Paul Tarashuk settles for $2.7M in suit
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The parents of Paul Tarashuk have sought justice for their son for six years until finally forced to settle for lackluster justice.
The I-TEAM broke the story and has been following this case since 2019.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division determined there was no criminal wrongdoing, so the only avenue left for Paul’s parents to find justice was a lawsuit.
How do you even put a dollar amount on the life of your child? $2.7 million was the price tag for Paul’s life.
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Paul was in the middle of a schizophrenic episode when first responders got to him.
“Stop acting stupid. You are a grown man,” said a paramedic. “Tell me your name. We will let you go so I can go back to bed.”
The Orangeburg County paramedic not only berated and mocked Paul, but she also failed to provide him with care.
The state of South Carolina also failed Paul by allowing a paramedic they previously determined was unfit for duty and a danger to patients due to drug use to keep her license.
“Come on, I am going to give you a ride. Don’t walk on the interstate, the side of the road. You are not going to jail. You are not under arrest. I am going to give you a ride,” said a deputy on the scene.
But law enforcement also failed Paul by abandoning him at a closed-down gas station.
911 caller: “I think I just hit a person on the interstate.”
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Six years and a $2.7 million settlement later, the attorney for Paul’s family told us, “After all is said and done, no one from the county EMS or the county sheriff’s office or the highway patrol apologized or took any responsibility for what happened to Paul. He clearly needed medical help, and everyone involved did not ensure that he got the help he needed. This was a needless tragedy.”
The Tarashuks would have most likely received a much higher amount if they went to court.
But here’s the deal, South Carolina insurance regulation caps payments, which means a higher award amount would have been reduced.
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