CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A Charleston County man has received a $45,000 payout from the state's insurance reserve fund after he claimed he suffered serious health complications from being injected with ketamine by Emergency Medical Service workers.
According to a lawsuit filed in 2021, Randy Botten was celebrating his upcoming wedding on Folly Beach when he fell and hit his head. He was transported by EMS to the hospital but became "combative" during the ride, prompting paramedics to pull over and administer a powerful sedative.
Court documents say Botten was given 300 milligrams of ketamine around 8 p.m., followed by another 200 milligrams just 15 minutes later, despite paramedics reportedly being told he was intoxicated. Medical experts have warned that combining ketamine with alcohol can be dangerous, and in Botten's case, the lawsuit claims the mix caused acute respiratory failure.
The lawsuit also pointed to a 2019 case involving a Mount Pleasant man who died after being given ketamine by EMS. That incident led to a $1 million settlement, yet Botten's lawsuit claims Charleston County EMS has not updated its ketamine protocols since.
Botten's case was settled for $45,000 through the state's insurance reserve fund.
Charleston County EMS has not commented on the case or indicated whether any policy changes are under consideration.