$60,000 for CCDA Prisoner Denied Cancer Treatment
$60,000 for CCDA Prisoner Denied Cancer Treatment
by David M. Reutter
Corrections Corporation of America paid $60,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that officials at the Whiteville Correctional Facility (WCF) failed to provide scheduled cancer surgeries for prisoner David E. Plunk.
Prior to his transfer to WCF, Plunk, a Vietnam veteran, was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma, an illness related to his military service. In January 2005, he was noted to have formed an enlarged right axillary lymph node and an enlarged left breast with no discrete mass. He was scheduled for a mastectomy of the left breast and a biopsy of the right breast.
After that surgery was scheduled, Plunk was transferred to WCF. He was not transported for the procedure and the procedure was never rescheduled. He was examined by WCF’s Dr. Fredrick C. Cole on April 1, 2005, but the doctor did not address the lymphoma issue. Plunk filed two grievances for WCF’s failure to treat his cancer, but they were both denied.
Finally, in April 2006, Plunk had a biopsy on his right lymph node, which tested positive for T-cell lymphoma. After his transfer to another prison, Plunk finally began “salvage chemotherapy” on May 15, 2006 to treat his recurring cancer.
Plunk agreed to the settlement on February 8, 2008. He was represented by attorneys Stuart B. Breakstone and Leanne A. Thorne. See: Plunk v. Corrections Corporation of America, U.S.D.C. (W. D. Tenn.), Case No. 07-cv-01057.
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
Related legal case
Plunk v. Corrections Corporation of America
| Year | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Cite | U.S.D.C. (W. D. Tenn.), Case No. 07-cv-01057 |
| Level | District Court |
| Damages | 60,000 |