Here’s a terrible report about an inmate who didn’t get the care he needed while in prison. This man suffered and died in prison, and now his family has targeted the Alabama-based health care provider and is asking for answers that could lead to a claim of medical malpractice. The health care provider is getting sued by the family of the inmate, a 19-year-old man from New York, because he died after suffering from a tear in his aorta.
The 19-year-old man started his sentence following a murder charge several years ago. It was in April 2013 when his chest suddenly started hurting and left him with shortness of breath. He was seen by a doctor, but that doctor merely prescribed hand cream. It was reported that it was only hours after that visit that the young man passed away from the tear while still in his cell.
The Alabama-based company, Corizon, has a $224 million contract to provide health care services to inmates in Alabama. It is currently facing another lawsuit that alleged that it provided inadequate health care to inmates in the state. New York City also has a contract with the company to provide health care of its inmates. The company receives $128 million for administrative support and $280 million for medical care.
Despite the money behind the company, it’s faced issues even more times before. The Occupational Safety and Health administration has also reportedly fined the company in the past for failing to protect its own employees at Riker’s Island, the same facility where the teen was found dead.
Diagnosing such a rare condition might be difficult, but you still deserve the right to proper care until you know what’s wrong. Living in pain and fear is unacceptable when you’re supposed to have proper medical care. If you’ve suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a situation like this, you might want to look into your legal options.
Source: AL.com, “New York inmate’s wrongful death lawsuit targets Corizon, Alabama’s inmate health care provider” Casey Toner, Aug. 19, 2014
