When a medical emergency presents itself, time is of the essence. Medical personnel must make decisions related to an individual's health that can literally mean the difference between life and death. The family of a 24-year-old woman who was nine months pregnant and recently died has raised questions related to her death and possible negligence by responding 911 emergency medical technicians.

An ambulance with EMT personnel onboard was called to a home where the expectant 24-year-old had fallen down the stairs. The woman, who was 37 weeks pregnant, had a history of asthma and was having difficulty breathing. Upon arriving, the responding EMTs entered the residence without any medical equipment and asked the injured woman to sit up. She responded that she couldn't and was too weak.

Surveillance video captured by the woman's family shows there were several delays in attending to the woman's medical needs as well as actually transporting her to the hospital. In total, video footage proves the ambulance didn't arrive at the hospital's emergency ward until roughly 30 minutes after arriving at the residence where the accident occurred.

When EMTs did arrive at the hospital the doors on the ambulance were jammed and no one was able to open them for roughly 10 minutes. During this timeframe one of the EMTs can be heard uttering "oh my God" as the 24-year-old's heart stopped beating.

The young woman died. Her full-term baby was delivered via emergency cesarean section, but remains in intensive care.

The woman's family contends she would likely still be alive had the responding EMTs provided medical attention directly upon arrival. Likewise, they believe the lack of urgency with which the woman was transported was a major contributing factor in her death.

The woman's family will likely file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responding EMTs and ambulance company for which they work.

Source: MSNBC, "Pregnant Woman Dies, Family Blames Medics," Marisa Brahney and Lauren DiSanto, Sept. 2, 2012