If a friend or loved one has died in jail, their estate (and/or surviving family members) may have a claim against the jail, corrections officers, and possibly medical professionals. Each of these cases is very different, so in order to consult an attorney and determine whether your case should be pursued, call 502.619.4949 to speak to Greg Simms today.
Does Everyone Who Dies in Jail Have a Lawsuit?
No – some deaths are not preventable. If someone dies unexpectedly from a heart attack, for example, and the jail had no reason to believe the person was in danger of death, the jail wouldn’t have any liability.
However, the more notice the jail has of a deadly situation, the more liability the jail may have – if they refuse to intervene and/or provide medical treatment.
For example, a recent client died in jail from alcohol withdrawal. This is the type of situation that typically gives a jail and medical professionals at the jail plenty of notice to provide medical treatment to the individual that needs help. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms typically become quite severe before someone dies, and those symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, restlessness, sleeplessness, hallucinations, shaking, seizures, and extreme discomfort, among other possible symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal is a rough way to die, and people suffering from these life-threatening symptoms usually let jail staff know about it, one way or another. In our client’s case, the client displayed many of the above symptoms and the jail refused to call an ambulance for the client. Tragically, he died in the jail.
Greg Simms was able to successfully sue the jail, corrections officers, and nurses. This client’s daughter will never have her father back. Money is never an adequate substitute for a lost loved one. But hopefully a lifetime of financial freedom for the Client’s daughter can alleviate some other points of stress in her life as she grows up.
For a free consultation on your case, call Greg Simms at 502.618.4949.