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Southfield Reaches $3.25 Million Settlement in Case of Woman Found Alive in Body Bag

The settlement follows years of litigation after a 2020 misidentification during pandemic-altered EMS protocols.

Overview

  • The agreement resolves the lawsuit brought by Erica Lattimore over the handling of her daughter Timesha Beauchamp’s emergency call.
  • Paramedics attempted resuscitation before a doctor declared Beauchamp dead over the phone without visiting the home.
  • Funeral home staff found her gasping and opening her eyes when the bag was unzipped, prompting hospital transport; she died about two months later.
  • A trial court dismissal on governmental-immunity grounds was overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals in 2024, paving the way for settlement talks.
  • Southfield issued a statement acknowledging the tragedy and citing pandemic complexities, while the family’s attorney argues immediate hospital care likely would have saved her as the fire chief has referenced possible “Lazarus syndrome.”