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Whitley jail hit with wrongful death lawsuit
Posted On 29 Dec 2010
The family of a Williamsburg man, who died on July 28 after being incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center four days earlier, is suing Whitley County in federal court for wrongful death.
The lawsuit, which was filed Monday in U.S. District Court by Williamsburg attorney Paul Croley, alleged that Ronald Shannon Lawson, 26, died from diabetes, and that his death was "unnecessary and preventable."
"Plaintiff’s believe and, after reasonable discovery, will show that Mr. Lawson’s treatment by defendants was not unusual, but was part of a continuing pattern of defendants of willfully and deliberately ignoring the medical needs of inmates of the jail," Croley wrote in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Lawson’s father, Ronald Lee Lawson, his wife, Shawnda Lawson, and their two minor children against Whitley County, Jailer Ken Mobley, Chief Deputy Jailer Bob O’Neil, deputy jailers Rhonda Hill, Billy Myers and Steve Claxton, and three unknown jail employees.
The lawsuit alleges that after Lawson’s incarceration, he was subjected to the defendants’ "deliberate indifference to his medical needs and, as a consequence, died."
"The purpose of a just correctional facility and system should never be to callously deprive inmates of life sustaining medical treatment," Croley wrote.
"Any correctional facility that condones and allows prisoners to be deliberately deprived of life sustaining medical treatment is failing its duty to society and its duty to provide inmates with humane living conditions during incarceration."
At the time of his death, Lawson was being held in the detention center in lieu of a $7,500 cash bond after being arrested on July 24 by Williamsburg police for speeding, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
According to his arrest citation, Lawson admitted shooting up Roxicet on the day he was arrested, and police discovered seven Roxicets on him that day.
After Lawson became unresponsive on July 28, deputy jailers started CPR and notified Whitley County EMS, which transported Lawson to the Jellico Community Hospital, where he died later that day.
The lawsuit notes that diabetes is a common disease that affects an estimated 23.6 million American adults and children. The accepted standard of medical care for diabetes requires daily monitoring of the patient’s blood sugar levels, the administration of insulin as needed, and regular significant exercise.
After Lawson’s arrest, his family notified the jail staff that Lawson was diabetic and needed regular medical care, including the administration of insulin products, and that his father provided jail staff with insulin products and syringes shortly after his intake, according to the lawsuit.
"Given Mr. Lawson’s medical condition, defendants knew or reasonably should have know that Lawson was a medically at risk inmate who required regular monitoring and care," the lawsuit alleged.
For a period of three days, Lawson’s blood glucose levels ran dangerously high spiking between 300 and 481. A blood sugar level of 300 or 400 is 1.5 to two times the threshold for established diabetes, and is highly dangerous, especially when sustained for long periods of time, according to the lawsuit.
Lawson began complaining to jail staff and requested medical care. Then his condition deteriorated to the point that he suffered from seizures, according to the lawsuit.
"During these diabetic seizures, Mr. Lawson would frequently thrash about his cell hitting his legs, arms and head against metal and concrete fixtures," the lawsuit alleged.
"He was strapped to a chair in the detox cell at the jail so he would not injure himself. Ultimately, Mr. Lawson became delusional, non-responsive and incapacitated."
The lawsuit alleged that fellow inmates complained to jail employees and requested that medical care and attention be given to Lawson, but those complaints and requests were ignored.
There is no record that Lawson was ever examined at the jail by a medical professional after complaints were made by Lawson and fellow inmates, according to the lawsuit.
Jail officials routinely blamed Lawson for "faking" or "trying to get out of jail to go to the hospital," according to the lawsuit.
"Ultimately, after it was determined that Lawson’s situation was dire, a jail employee administered insulin to Lawson," according to the lawsuit. "Said employee had no experience or training in the administration of insulin.
"Said employee sought advice from another inmate prior to administering the dose to Lawson as to the proper method and dosage. Shortly thereafter, EMS was called and Lawson was taken to Jellico Community Hospital where he died from diabetes mellitus."
The lawsuit alleged that the jail staff’s conduct was intentional, reckless, deliberate, wanton, malicious, and indicative of their total, deliberate and reckless disregard and indifference to Lawson’s life and rights.
The lawsuit seeks damages for Lawson’s "unnecessary" pain and suffering, lost income and earning he would have enjoyed if he had lived, and damages for his wife and children for the loss of his companionship, comfort and support, plus punitive damages.
The lawsuit seeks trial by jury, attorney’s fees and all other relief that Lawson’s family might be entitled to receive.
Mobley said Tuesday morning that he couldn’t comment on the lawsuit because it is pending litigation.
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they still have rights..they r still human and deserve medical treatment if needed..what would u do if it was your people being done like this..the same thing..GET A LIFE..WE ALL BLEED RED..THEY DO HAVE RIGHTS..THE STATE IS THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM..I AGREE WITH U..THAT IS BULL….SOMEONE NEEDS TO PAY FOR THIS..
they still have rights..they r still human and deserve medical treatment if needed..what would u do if it was your people being done like this..the same thing..GET A LIFE..WE ALL BLEED RED..
My boyfriend was also in jail for 2 month for a first time dwi. I fought w nurses there and nys. He was newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and his regulkar doctor had him on insulin. But when he went in to jail they wanted to give him humulog instead of what he normally takes. Mind u his diabetes was not under control at that time. He refused to take humulog simply because he does not know how it will react with his body. They violated his civil rights and refused to give him anything but the humulog. So he refused to take the humulog. His blood sugar levels had risen to 300+ and nurses were documenting his BS levels as normal levels. Which is false documentation. While the nurses did that he was keeping a journal of what he ate and what his actual BS levels were. I notified nys dept corrections of the situation and they basically said it wasn’t there problem. Now they violated his civial right (which according to law, once ur in jail u no longer have civil rights. That’s bull****) also when BS levels get to be 300+ u r supposed to get him to a hospital. The neglected him and falsely documented to save there ass. If we can’t get them for civil right suit then hopefully get them for a false documetation of an inmate. Which they could lose license for doing so. If anyone has info about what can be done please share with me.
My boyfriend was also in jail for 2 month for a first time dwi. I fought w nurses there and nys. He was newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and his regulkar doctor had him on insulin. But when he went in to jail they wanted to give him humulog instead of what he normally takes. Mind u his diabetes was not under control at that time. He refused to take humulog simply because he does not know how it will react with his body. They violated his civil rights and refused to give him anything but the humulog. So he refused to take the humulog. His blood sugar levels had risen to 300+ and nurses were documenting his BS levels as normal levels. Which is false documentation. While the nurses did that he was keeping a journal of what he ate and what his actual BS levels were. I notified nys dept corrections of the situation and they basically said it wasn’t there problem. Now they violated his civial right (which according to law, once ur in jail u no longer have civil rights. That’s bull****) also when BS levels get to be 300+ u r supposed to get him to a hospital. The neglected him and falsely documented to save there ass. If we can’t get them for civil right suit then hopefully get them for a false documetation of an inmate. Which they could lose license for doing so. If anyone has info about what can be done please share with me.
My boyfriend was also in jail for 2 month for a first time dwi. I fought w nurses there and nys. He was newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and his regulkar doctor had him on insulin. But when he went in to jail they wanted to give him humulog instead of what he normally takes. Mind u his diabetes was not under control at that time. He refused to take humulog simply because he does not know how it will react with his body. They violated his civil rights and refused to give him anything but the humulog. So he refused to take the humulog. His blood sugar levels had risen to 300+ and nurses were documenting his BS levels as normal levels. Which is false documentation. While the nurses did that he was keeping a journal of what he ate and what his actual BS levels were. I notified nys dept corrections of the situation and they basically said it wasn’t there problem. Now they violated his civial right (which according to law, once ur in jail u no longer have civil rights. That’s bull****) also when BS levels get to be 300+ u r supposed to get him to a hospital. The neglected him and falsely documented to save there ass. If we can’t get them for civil right suit then hopefully get them for a false documetation of an inmate. Which they could lose license for doing so. If anyone has info about what can be done please share with me.
I am so glad to see someone filing a lawsuit and calling attention to the lack of medical care in the local jail. Perhaps this will save someone elses life, though it can’t help this young man or the others who have died there recently. A thorough investigation made by someone not in the good ole boy system of WC may be what the the county needs. The jail has a duty to provide medical care just as much as they must take care not to let a prisoner escape.
No one should beg for medical help,when a blood sugar runs this high. Where was the nurse JAILOR ?wHAT GOES ARROUND COMES ARROUND IT MAY TAKE A WHILE BUT THE QUILTY WILL PAY!
No one should beg for medical help,when a blood sugar runs this high. Where was the nurse JAILOR ?wHAT GOES ARROUND COMES ARROUND IT MAY TAKE A WHILE BUT THE QUILTY WILL PAY!
We had a very dear friend a few years ago that was in the whitley county jail and he laying flat of his back very sick, his mother paid for an ambulance to go to the jail to get him and take him to the hospital and the jailer would not let him go.
At the last moment they did get him to the hospital which was too late, he died at a young age due to neglect.
Sorry but this is happening a way too much and something needs to be done ASAP
The Whitley county jail is getting too many law suits against them and we the tax payers is having to pay for them.
I think Mr Mobley should be the one the one who has to pay for this mishap.
I feel very sorry for this family that is going through this tragedy and if the truth was known the law most likely pulled him over and took his prescriptions for their on personal use, we all know that they are bigger drug addicts than most of the ones in jail
Here is a fact for you!!! If you do drugs even prescribed then you should NOT operate a motor vehicle!!! My niece was murdered by the same type of “person”. I use the term loosely! No one I know “shoots up” prescribed medications.
The key fact left out of this article is that the result of the autopsy confirmed that he did NOT have drugs in his system that were not prescribed to him. Therefore, he was in fact killed by this jail as a result of a speeding offense.
If the jail is so nasty & he shouldn’t have gotten arrested, then WHAT ABOUT THE SHERIFF & HIS DEPUTIES? They all broke the laws, but that’s OK! They will never see the inside of the jail & even if by some chance they do I BET THEY WILL GET ALL THE PROPER TREATMENT THEY WANT!!!
Your right..he shouldn’t have broke the law, but that doesn’t mean he deserves to die… if the workers at the jail knew that he had diabetes they should of took the proper steps to keep him safe… his sugar should have been checked and the proper amount of insulin given… this is a sad story…this time in jail may of been all he needed to decide to turn his life around, but now we’ll never know…truly sad
If the jail is so nasty, obey the laws and don’t get yourself put in jail. Jail should not be a paradise, but a punishment for wrong doing. I sympathize with this man’s family, but he put himself in this position, and with the drugs and alcohol in his system, he apparently didn’t care that he had diabetes.
Really doesn’t surprise me! They treat people like dogs in the jail @ Whitley Co. I know first hand. It is nasty there. The workers are a bunch of uneducated hillbillies who think they can do as they please because of the position they have. I hope someone does something about that place!!