Earlier today a wrongful death lawsuit settled for $625,000. The lawsuit in question was filed in June 2017 in federal court against the “Hampton Roads Regional Jail, its medical provider and a number of staff members.” It was filed by the family of Henry Clay Stewart, “an inmate who died Aug. 6, 2016, because of internal bleeding from a perforated stomach ulcer.” But how did the incident occur? Why was the lawsuit filed?It all began back in May 2016 when Stewart was arrested for allegedly “violating the terms of his probation related to a 2011 shoplifting charge.” Originally he was booked at the Hampton City Jail, but was later “transferred to Hampton Roads Regional Jail in June 2016.” According to the suit:“From mid-July through his death on Aug. 6, 2016, Stewart repeatedly sought medical treatment for severe medical conditions, including chest and abdominal pain, blackouts, inability to keep down water or food, and drastic weight loss, but his pleas for urgent medical care were either ignored or the care provided to him was substandard and did not address his life-threatening medical needs.”

Hampton Roads Welcome Sign; image courtesy of
William Grimes at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.or

 According to inmates at the jail, shortly before his death, Stewart “appeared not to be breathing and was foaming at the mouth.” The suit also alleged that “correctional officers and medical staff provided Stewart with inadequate and delayed care in response,” and argued that if the “defendants had timely and properly intervened, Stewart would not have died.”Even after agreeing to the settlement, though, the defendants named in the suit have not admitted “to any liability or wrongdoing.” Additionally, none of the defendants have returned requests for comment.Of the $625,000 settlement, $525,000 will be paid by the “jail’s medical provider, Correct Care Solutions,” and the remaining will be paid by the jail. Stewart's sister and son, Michelle Wilson and Joe Austin, will receive the majority of the settlement funds, while Richmond-based Krudys Law Firm, which represented the plaintiffs, will receive $208,000.Even though this case has reached a settlement, it's important to note that this isn't the first time the Hampton Roads Regional Jail has been at the center of scrutiny in regards to the quality of its medical care. Back in 2015, 24-year-old inmate Jamycheal Mitchell “essentially wasted away in plain sight over a 101-day stay at the facility.” It was later revealed that he had been diagnosed with “bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,” prior to his arrest.

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$625,000 settlement approved in wrongful death suit involving Hampton Roads Regional Jail inmate$625,000 settlement reached in Hampton Roads Regional Jail inmate death