Lawsuit alleges negligence by EMTs in the death of a Youngstown woman

The mother of a Youngstown woman who was beaten to death and set on fire nearly two years ago is suing the ambulance company and the EMTs that responded to her daughter's house. 

Denise Johnson and Erika Huff's estate alleged that the EMTs who arrived left after her accused killer told them that no one called. 

Nearly two years after Erika Huff was allegedly killed by Lance Hundley, a lawsuit was filed Wednesday claiming negligence on the part of EMTs who arrived at her Youngstown house.

"They didn't do their job and that was the problem," claimed attorney David Engler, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate of Erika Huff and Denise Johnson. Lonnie Johnson, Huff's stepfather, is also named as a plaintiff.

Huff was confined to a wheelchair due to MS and pressed her medical alert button on November 6, 2015.

"She's calling for help, she thinks help is coming and in fact it does come and there's a knock on the door and as she's laying there, she's not dead yet, she hears the door being answered she must be thinking that her prayers are answered only to hear her murderer say go away and they go away," said Engler.

The lawsuit claims that Deanna Ailes and Brittney Koch, EMTs with Rural Metro, which is part of AMR,  "were met at the front door by a man with a black hoodie who advised that no person had made an emergency call from that house and that no emergency existed at that house."

The document alleges "Ailes and Koch simply left the residence without viewing Erika Huff, or advising anyone that they had not made personal contact with Erika Huff. They failed to obtain a refusal of service consent form..."

An unidentified dispatcher is accused of failing to instruct EMTs to perform a patient assessment and failing to advise them of Huff's medical needs.

Huff was then allegedly beaten, killed and set on fire by the man who answered the door-- Lance Hundley. Her mother, Denise Johnson, went there and was also allegedly attacked.

"He was striking her with this claw hammer, she's 69 years old at the time, this is happening and she ends up goes unconcious," described Engler.

The document says that the hammer broke off on her head, Hundley had a knife to her throat, and he attempted to kill her by burning the house down but she still managed to survive. 

The lawsuit seeks $150 million dollars in damages and alleges wrongful death of Erika Huff, personal injuries suffered by Denise Johnson, negligent hiring/training/supervision of defendant AMR, and loss of consortium of Lonnie Johnson.

21 News reached out to AMR for a response Thursday evening and a spokesperson said that they do not comment on pending litigation.