From NewsChannel 9: Bradley County will need to spend more to provide medical staffing at its jail as part of a judge-approved settlement to a yea
From NewsChannel 9: Bradley County will need to spend more to provide medical staffing at its jail as part of a judge-approved settlement to a years-long lawsuit over conditions at the jail.
Current or former inmates who can prove they got inadequate care at the Bradley County Jail will also be able to stake a claim in some of the settlement.
Read the full settlement below.
One plaintiff, Darrell Eden, initially filed the class action lawsuit in September 2018, claiming he received inadequate medical care at the jail.
He was soon joined by Randy Bacon, the Estate of Christopher Brown, Sandra Culbertson, the Estate of Denise Culpepper, Laura Fuller, the Estate of Brandon Gash, Benjamin Newton Hannah, Kris Holder, Amanda Lennie, Shelby Long, Tera Miller. Bryan Wampler. Sharon Waters. Avery L. Sharp. Chelsea Coulter. Kendra Mickel and Zachary Guinn.
The suit named as defendants Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson, Captain Jerry Johnson, Jr., former Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson, and Captain Gabriel Thomas.
Throughout years of litigation with this case, the defendants all denied any wrongdoing.
But the settlement, which a judge approved earlier this month, requires Bradley County to pay $2,130,613.57 in damages.
Also, for 2 years, the settlement says Bradley County will have to increase the budget for medical staffing at the jail by $275,000, and then be subject to review after that period.
The settlement creates a settlement fund worth $3,800,000, which will be available to those who were inmates at the Bradley County Jail as of September 17th, 2017.
The lawsuit says those who are eligible
“…(a) were inmates at the Jail (i.e., were under arrest and had been transported or were being transported to the Jail in the custody of the BCSO (but not any other law enforcement agency)), and (b) during their period of confinement, suffered from an obvious or diagnosed medical condition (or conditions) and either (i) received no medical care for said condition (or conditions) or (ii) despite any medical attention received, suffered a worsening of said condition (or conditions) and/or unnecessary pain, suffering, or discomfort.
We’re working to learn more details.
Read the full settlement below:
We have reached out to Bradley County officials for comment on this settlement, and we’ll update this story if and when we hear back.
