The family of a man who died in an Atlanta jail after being denied medical services has filed a lawsuit against the county and related parties. According to the suit, the man had an ulcer that went untreated, ultimately resulting in his death. The lawsuit names, as defendants, the private medical partners that provide medical services to inmates. This type of lawsuit is becoming increasingly common as counties move to pay private companies to provide medical care to inmates. In cases like these, denying medical services becomes a joint choice between guards responsible for ensuring the safety of inmates and the medical services providers attempting to cut costs.
Can you sue a government contractor?
Yes, but government contractors often enjoy sovereign immunity which extends government protections to their contracts. In other words, your recovery would be capped (in Florida) at $200,000 per claim.
However, the government contractor must establish that they followed the terms of their government contract. Otherwise, the contract is void, and along with it goes sovereign immunity. Hence, lawsuits filed against government contractors can and do go to trial settling for millions of dollars. This is especially the case when the contractor refuses to perform a routine exam on a patient who is in critical condition and dwindling fast.
A painful and avoidable death
The plaintiff’s case is bolstered by the fact that the inmate was unable to hold down food, was constipated, and had been vomiting over the course of several days due to the stomach ulcer. Despite these obvious symptoms, the doctors claimed that they were unable to find the cause of his pain.
In many cases like this one, inmates never gets the attention they need because the doctors and nurses believe they are lying to get themselves into a more comfortable position. While that may happen on occasion, doctors are still required take inmates’ complaints seriously perform appropriate medical investigation.
If the doctors truly couldn’t find the source of his pain, they may still be liable of medical malpractice for failing to render an appropriate diagnosis. If they assumed he was lying and neglected to properly investigate his symptoms, they essentially executed him by depriving him of needed care.
Talk to a Tampa Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Palmer | Lopez represents the rights of families and inmates who have suffered losses due to inadequate state-funded medical services. Call our Tampa medical malpractice lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and we can discuss your situation immediately.
Source:
foxnews.com/us/family-man-died-jail-inadequate-medical-care-files-lawsuit
