An 18-year-old who was arrested on minor charges was sentenced to death by the cold-hearted ignorance of prison guards in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The boy, who had lost control of his car, crashing it into a tree, was arrested at his grandmother’s house on a warrant for failing to appear in court on an unrelated charge. When he protested that he was ill and needed to see a doctor, the guards ignored him, despite his obvious symptoms, observed by fellow inmates, such as trouble sleeping, lack of appetite, listlessness, and unfocused vision.
When guards finally consented to take him to a doctor, it was discovered he had contracted bacterial meningitis as a complication from a skull fracture and brain injury, and it was too late to save his life.
His mother filed suit on his behalf. The County, fearing an expose on its treatment of prisoners, offered a settlement while admitting no fault in the wrongful death, and the mother, hoping to see the end of the trauma, accepted.
The attorney in the case put the settlement in perspective, saying, “I think this is a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. I’m hoping the litigation settlement will change policy at the jail so this doesn’t happen again.” The proper role of litigation is not to achieve money for claimants or lawyers, but to use punitive damages as a stick to keep corporate and governmental entities in line. If you or someone you love has suffered as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact the Salt Lake City area personal injury attorneys at G. Eric Nielson & Associates.
