A BLACKWOOD man, who claims he waited two hours for an ambulance after sustaining 30 per cent burns to his body, is to sue the Welsh Ambulance Service for damages.
Jamie Baldwin, 22, says he is angry he has not even received an apology for the wait and has contacted solicitors, who are currently compiling his case.
He claims his injuries were aggravated because treatment was delayed and wants to ensure no-one else goes through the same trauma in the future.
Mr Baldwin suffered third degree burns to his hands and first and second degree burns to his stomach, back, legs and arms when he fell into a pile of burning crates near his home in Grove Park at around 11.40pm on April 18 last year.
He claims his friends called 999 immediately and a paramedic, firefighters and police were at the scene in less than 15 minutes, but an ambulance did not arrive until 1.40am.
He received specialist burns treatment at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital and now applies cream to his scars everyday and has fortnightly check-ups.
Mr Baldwin said: "There’s a lot they could’ve done in two hours and I think my burns wouldn’t have been as bad if an ambulance had come straight away."
He also alleges burns to his lower body were aggravated because his jeans, which burning plastic from the fire had stuck to, continued to burn his skin until they were removed three hours after his accident.
His injuries have prevented him working as a labourer since and he has only felt well enough to start job-hunting in recent weeks.
He added: "It’s the fact that I didn’t even have an apology from them, that’s what let me down.
"I just hope it doesn't happen to someone else."
Mr Baldwin’s father, Lee, 46, complained about the delay to the ambulance service two days after the accident and claims he was told there was no record of any calls - despite the family, his son’s friends and the paramedic at the scene calling repeatedly.
He said: "I just want to know why it took so long, nobody with his extent of injuries should’ve waited so long."
Newport solicitors Hornby, Baker, Jones and Wood took on his case in February and are currently putting an argument for damages together.
A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: "The Trust cannot comment on individual cases but we take every complaint extremely seriously."
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