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$700,000 Settlement in Minnesota Teen’s Wrongful Death Caused by Jail’s Indifference to Head Infection
Shortly after his arrest and booking into Minnesota’s Mille Lacs County Jail, 18-year-old Brandon Brown began Complaining of excruciating head pain. The result of jail personnel’s failure to treat him caused his death and a settlement by the County to his family for $700,000.
About five hours before his arrest on November 25, 2005, Brown was involved in a car accident. When he began experiencing head pain, he informed guards and requested medical attention. For three days, Brown pleaded for medical care. Despite explaining that he had previously experienced a head injury and it was apparent he was exhibiting physical and emotional signs of extreme head pain, guards and nurses ignored Brown’s pleas.
Finally, a guard took action that resulted in Brown being taken to a hospital. By then, it was too late. On November 28, 2005, Brown was declared dead. The cause was acute bacterial meningitis.
The November 7, 2007, settlement agreement awarded $359,427.06 to Dawn Brown, Brandon’s mother. His twin 14-year-old sisters each received $15,000 in a money market account. The other $303,577.94 went towards attorney fees and costs.
“I think this is a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” said attorney Vincent Noccio, who represented Brown’s family. “I’m hoping the litigation settlement will change policy at the jail so this doesn’t happen again.”See: Brown v. Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, USDC, D. Minnesota, Case No. 07-942.
Additional source: Princeton Union Eagle
About five hours before his arrest on November 25, 2005, Brown was involved in a car accident. When he began experiencing head pain, he informed guards and requested medical attention. For three days, Brown pleaded for medical care. Despite explaining that he had previously experienced a head injury and it was apparent he was exhibiting physical and emotional signs of extreme head pain, guards and nurses ignored Brown’s pleas.
Finally, a guard took action that resulted in Brown being taken to a hospital. By then, it was too late. On November 28, 2005, Brown was declared dead. The cause was acute bacterial meningitis.
The November 7, 2007, settlement agreement awarded $359,427.06 to Dawn Brown, Brandon’s mother. His twin 14-year-old sisters each received $15,000 in a money market account. The other $303,577.94 went towards attorney fees and costs.
“I think this is a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” said attorney Vincent Noccio, who represented Brown’s family. “I’m hoping the litigation settlement will change policy at the jail so this doesn’t happen again.”See: Brown v. Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, USDC, D. Minnesota, Case No. 07-942.
Additional source: Princeton Union Eagle
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Related legal case
Brown v. Mille Lacs County
| Year | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Cite | Minnesota, USDC, D. Minnesota, Case No. 07-942 |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Attorney Fees | 303,000.00 |
| Damages | 389,000.00 |
| Injunction Status | N/A |