A two year lawsuit against the Onondaga County Sheriff's Air-1 helicopter has been dismissed in Federal Court.
Mercy Flight Center, Inc. originally filed the lawsuit, claiming the Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police helicopters violated federal law by providing competing services without proper certification. The Sheriff's Office says the court agreed that in cases of emergency, the closest medivac transport should be dispatched.
Undersheriff Warren Darby says, "We felt we were right at the beginning. I think we've been proven by at least the federal court that we were right, that the closest available air medical service should get that patient to the hospital in as quick a manner as possible so that we can be within the golden hour to to save that patient."