Nebraska County, Jail Medical Provider Settle Suit Over Medication Denial for $10,000
by Matt Clarke
In April 2018, Saunders County, Nebraska and Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc. (ACH) agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former jail prisoner who was denied medication for a brain tumor.
When John Gillock, 43, was arrested on a misdemeanor theft charge, he told Saunders County jail officials that he was suffering from diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a tumor near his brain stem. He reportedly arrived at the jail with two weeks’ worth of medication, including bromocriptine, which was being used to shrink the brain tumor. However, he never received bromocriptine during his 51-day stay at the jail despite repeated requests. He was subsequently transferred to the Washington County jail, where he received the medication.
Gillock filed a federal civil rights suit against Saunders County and ACH, its private jail health care provider. They claimed ACH staff were unable to confirm that Gillock had a brain tumor. Yet the office of the physician treating Gillock’s tumor had a record confirming the diagnosis that was sent to jail medical staff a week after Gillock arrived at the facility.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Kopf had already ruled that some of Gillock’s claims could proceed in a March 19, 2018 summary judgment order, prompting the county and ACH to contribute equally to the $10,000 settlement. See: Gillock v. Saunders County, U.S.D.C. (D. Neb.), Case No. 4:16-cv-03190-RGK-CRZ.
Additional source: www.mdjonline.com
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Related legal case
Gillock v. Saunders County
| Year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Cite | U.S.D.C. (D. Neb.), Case No. 4:16-cv-03190-RGK-CRZ |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Damages | 10,000 |