Personal Injury Claims Brought by Correctional Facility Inmates

It is the legal duty of prison and correctional facility employees to use reasonable care in protecting the safety and wellbeing of inmates. Despite this duty, there is a staggering number of correctional facility inmates that suffer significant injuries due to the negligence of facility workers. When prison and jail officials breach their professional duty to adequately care for inmates, the injured inmates have a right to file a personal injury claim seeking compensation for their losses.

Attorney Michael LoGiudice firmly believes in the rights of prisoners to reasonable care and when an inmate needlessly suffers an injury or harm because those in charge failed to exercise their legal duty of care, he is here to hold those parties accountable.

What of Personal Injury Claims Are Brought by Correctional Facility Inmates?

Rikers Island Jail Complex is the perfect example of the problem of negligent care that is sweeping the country’s correctional facilities. In 2015, the New York City Comptroller’s office received 2,846 personal injury claims from the jail system, most coming from Riker’s inmates. New York City paid out $13.1 million in settlements or judgments in cases filed against the city involving injuries or deaths at its correctional facilities.

Correctional facility injury claims can involve:

Unsafe premises: Prisoners can bring claims that involve unsafe conditions on the property leading to things like slip and falls.
Inmate-on-inmate violence: Inmate-on-inmate violence is one of the leading causes of injury in correctional facilities. If an inmate is injured due to being assaulted by another inmate and it was preventable of there had not been lack of supervision or failure to separate out an inmate known to be violent, then the injured inmate can bring a personal injury claim against the correctional facility.
Assaults by guards: While it is sometimes necessary for guards to use a certain level of force to maintain order, unprovoked attacks and excessive force opens the facility up to a personal injury claim maid by an injured inmate.
Medical malpractice: If an inmate falls ill or sustains an injury, they are entitled to medical care provided by the correctional facility. Failure to provide adequate medical care can also lay the foundation for a personal injury claim. Additionally, failure to provide necessary medical treatment such as denying medication or insulin may also lead to negligence claims.

If you have been injured due to any of the above, you may be able to seek compensation for things such as:

Medical bills
Cost of future medical treatment
Medications and medical equipment
Pain and suffering
Future lost wages

Fighting for Injured Inmates whose Rights Have Been Violated by Correctional Facilities

As an inmate in a correctional facility, you still have rights. Those in charge of the facility still owe you a duty of care. When they violate that duty of care and you are injured as a result, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages. Contact Attorney Michael LoGiudice today.