Seattle woman, 71, suffering '10 out of 10 pain' died after ambulance took TEN HOURS to arrive, with 911 dispatcher making vile remark and telling her to stop calling lawsuit alleges

Published: 19:17, 3 April 2026 | Updated: 19:20, 3 April 2026 A Seattle woman who told 911 she was in ‘10 out of 10 pain’ died after waiting 10 hours for an ambulance, with a dispatcher allegedly shrugging off her attempts to summon help, according to a lawsuit. Pamela Hogan, 71, called for help on April 8, 2022, reporting severe knee pain that left her unable to move from her bed. But instead of immediately receiving an ambulance, her call was transferred to a nurse line operated from a call center outside Dallas, Texas, where she was told to wait for care. At the time, Seattle had stopped tracking and capping ambulance response times for certain 911 callers routed through a nurse triage system, according to the Seattle Times. Over the next several hours, Hogan called 911 multiple times as her condition worsened, telling responders she could not walk, eat, drink or get to the bathroom, the lawsuit alleges. At one point, she said she had congestive heart failure and asked if that would speed up the response. The dispatcher allegedly replied: ‘We’re not going to play that game,' before telling Hogan to stop pestering them, the suit alleges.  Hogan, who lived on the seventh floor of an affordable senior housing complex, told responders they could break down her door if necessary, but no one entered.  More than 10 hours later, an ambulance was finally sent, but crews left after three minutes when she did not answer. Weeks later, her body was found on the floor next to her bed.   Pamela Hogan, 71, died after waiting 10 hours for an ambulance despite repeatedly calling 911 and reporting ‘10 out of 10’ pain, according to a lawsuit Hogan was told an ambulance would be sent, but dispatchers warned it could take hours as units were tied up across Seattle Recordings of Hogan’s 911 calls, obtained through public records requests and first reported by the Seattle Times, detail her final hours. During her first call at 4.18pm, Hogan told a dispatcher she could not get out of bed due to severe knee pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. ‘I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t get up,’ she said, adding she wanted to go to the emergency room. Instead of dispatching help immediately, the call was transferred to a nurse line operated by American Medical Response’s parent company, Global Medical Response. Hogan told the nurse she had been stuck in bed all day and had soiled herself, describing her pain as ‘10 out of 10.’ She was told an ambulance would be sent. Dispatchers internally estimated the wait could take three to four hours, though Hogan was no longer on the phone when that assessment was made. Eight minutes later, she called 911 again, warning she would not be able to open the door. ‘Are you going to be able to get in?’ she asked. As the delay stretched on, her distress intensified. During a third call, she said: ‘Three or four hours?! I can’t do that. I am in so much pain.’ Hogan lived in a secured senior housing complex where responders were unable to gain entry, despite her telling 911 they could break down her door if needed Hogan’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit in King County, with a judge ruling the case can move forward to trial A dispatcher suggested she try to get a ride or call a cab, despite her saying she could not walk. By her fourth call, about an hour later, Hogan said: ‘I’m dying here.’ She again disclosed she had congestive heart failure and asked if that would speed up the response. The dispatcher allegedly replied: ‘We’re not going to play that game,’ before warning her to stop calling 911. More than four hours in, Hogan asked for an update. ‘I’ve tried to be patient but I’m just still in a lot of pain,’ she said. She was told ambulances were backed up and she would have to wait longer. It was not until 2.29am, roughly 10 hours after her first call, that an ambulance was finally dispatched, according to the lawsuit. By then, records show dozens of Seattle patients who called after Hogan had already received ambulances.   According to court filings, Hogan’s estate and her son filed suit in March 2025 against the City of Seattle, the Seattle Fire Department and ambulance provider American Medical Response. The case is now moving toward trial after a judge rejected efforts by the city and AMR to dismiss it. Hogan made multiple 911 calls to Seattle Fire dispatchers as her condition worsened, at one point being told: ‘We’re not going to play that game,’ according to court filings King County Superior Court Judge David Keenan ruled there are factual disputes over what happened and whether delays in care contributed to Hogan’s death. Attorneys for the city and AMR argue the case is speculative and that there is no clear evidence linking the ambulance delay to her death. They pointed to phone records showing Hogan made a small number of outgoing calls two days after her initial 911 call, suggesting she survived for some time after missing the ambulance. They also noted her body was not discovered for six weeks and no autopsy was performed. The medical examiner listed her cause of death as probable heart disease. Attorneys for Hogan’s estate dispute that account. Investigators found receipts and food items in her apartment dating to before her 911 call, with no evidence of activity afterward, according to court records cited by the Seattle Times. They argue Hogan likely died within days, noting no signs of activity after April 10 and no evidence she accessed food or other essentials. The case has raised concerns about Seattle’s 911 response system, where some callers were routed through a nurse triage line instead of receiving immediate ambulance dispatch Medical experts for the estate said her prolonged immobilization and lack of care likely worsened her condition and contributed to her death, adding she may have survived with timely treatment. The lawsuit also raises broader concerns about Seattle’s 911 medical response system. At the time, certain patients were routed to a nurse line instead of receiving immediate ambulance dispatch. Those nurse-ordered calls were exempt from response-time standards and contractual penalties, meaning there was no required timeframe for how quickly help had to arrive, according to the Seattle Times. A Seattle Fire Department review later found transferring Hogan to the nurse line was appropriate based on her initial complaint. However, it noted her heart condition may have warranted a more urgent reassessment. The review did not examine ambulance delays or communication gaps between agencies. City officials have declined detailed comment. A councilmember said the issue will be reviewed by the public safety committee. A jury will ultimately decide whether delays in care contributed to Hogan’s death. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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