Family sues Grady EMS after teen's emergency response failure

A multimillion-dollar lawsuit has been filed against Grady Hospital Corporation and Grady EMS. The legal action follows the case of 15-year-old Mandy Sylvester, who experienced a medical emergency during volleyball practice in December 2024. Her family alleges serious failures in emergency response that day. Mandy Sylvester suffered a medical crisis during practice. When a 911 call was made, Grady EMS was operating at 'level zero', meaning no ambulances were available to respond. The lawsuit claims the callers were not told about the shortage until a second 911 call was made over 20 minutes later.

With no ambulance on the way, Mandy’s mother, Barbara Sylvester, had to drive her daughter to the hospital herself. The lawsuit also states that Grady EMS failed to request mutual aid from other services, as required by Georgia law. Additionally, it alleges that emergency personnel and the family were never notified that no ambulance could be dispatched.

Grady Hospital has cited federal and state privacy laws for their limited public response. They confirmed they would address the lawsuit through the legal process. The case is being led by attorney Ben Crump and his team on behalf of Mandy’s family. The lawsuit highlights multiple alleged failures in emergency response protocols. It seeks significant compensation for the Sylvester family. Grady Hospital and EMS will now respond to the claims in court.