PROTECTING THE LEGAL INTERESTS OF INJURED HAWAII RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SINCE 1973

Man and his wife claim medical negligence against municipality

On Behalf of | Feb 12, 2016 | Medical Malpractice |

A recent claim was filed against a municipality, alleging that a man received substandard and inadequate care while being held in a county jail. The man’s wife has joined in the claim against a sheriff, several deputies and various medical personnel. The negligence claim was filed in a state outside Hawaii, and the couple is seeking compensatory damages.

Apparently, the man was an inmate at the jail in Feb. 2014. He reportedly suffers from diverticulitis, which requires him to adhere to certain dietary restrictions because of the potential adverse effects that some foods can have on his intestines. The claim states that the man began experiencing serious abdominal pain because his special diet needs were ignored by jail officials and staff members.

The man claims that he asked to see a doctor. However, he asserts that he was instead placed in a segregated cell. He also says that he was not taken to a hospital until a week later. By that time, he was suffering from a severe bowel infection believed to have been caused by a ruptured intestine.

After undergoing emergency surgery, the man was required to use a colostomy bag because a large portion of his intestine was removed. The claim against the defendants states that after being transferred back to jail, the man quickly learned that the staff had no means for properly caring for him or changing his bag. Loss of consortium, medical negligence and deliberate indifference are among the damages cited in the lawsuit. Residents of Hawaii who have experienced similar suffering may wish to pursue the matter in court by retaining legal representation in the matter.

Source: madisonrecord.com, “Couple accuses Franklin County sheriff of medical negligence“, Molly English-Bowers, Feb. 3, 2016

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