You can have a claim for negligence, wrongful death, and civil rights violations against the prison and the government if your relative passed away in custody and you suspect foul play. Instead of being a secure environment, some jails are among the most violent and deadly.
Whether your loved one died due to incompetence, guard misbehavior, or because the government failed to protect them from danger, you can locate the offenders and hold them accountable.
No officer or member of the prison staff is permitted to endanger a prisoner despite having a badge, a prison uniform, or any other type of authority conferred by the government.
Who is the Liable Party for Wrongful Death in Prison?
A wrongful death in prison is frequently due to prison guard error in county jails, federal prisons, and other detention facilities. Our civil rights and prisoner jail death attorneys have the knowledge and contacts necessary to determine what happened, identify the perpetrators, and secure the right compensation for you and your bereaved family.
The families of murdered detainees have successfully negotiated sizable settlements with state, county, and local jails thanks to the expertise of our team of investigators and litigators. In the cases we manage, common causes of death among inmates include:
- Not protecting prisoners at danger of suicide
- Not giving the necessary mental health treatment
- Too much force
- Use of tasers and chokeholds is prohibited
- Neglecting to provide inmates their prescribed medicine in a jail setting
- Unjustified delays in delivering medical care in a crisis
- Failure to prevent violent inmate attacks on prisoners
- Drug withdrawal-related death
Negligence in Jail
There are daily drug withdrawal deaths among prisoners. Others die as a result of guards failing to separate aggressive convicts who could later commit murder.
When a prisoner’s catastrophic medical condition spirals out of hand, jail staff may wait too long to administer life-saving care; by the time medical personnel and therapies arrive, it is frequently too late.
All of the scenarios above are illegal under US law. Whether in immigration detention, a youth correctional institution, or a maximum security prison, US convicts have rights that must be under observance. These rights consist of:
- Prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment
- The ability to protest openly about prison circumstances
- The right to be free from sexual harassment or sex crimes committed by either fellow convicts or prison employees
- The entitlement to reasonable modifications and special consideration for handicapped convicts
- Appropriate physical and mental health treatment as a human right
- Freedom of expression and religion
- The right to be free from prejudice based on race, religion, and other factors.
Consult with one of our experts about initiating a case, identifying the offenders, and obtaining damages commensurate with your tragic loss if you think prison guards or other authorities violated part of your family member’s rights.
You May Be Running Out of Time
A death lawsuit brought by a jail inmate must be filed within a specific length of time following the death. Your right to sue will be lost, no matter how horrible the murder or neglect. However, your wrongful death attorneys can assist you in your case if you are able to hire them immediately. That is, the sooner you speak with one of our attorneys, the stronger your case will be. That is because the statute of limitations start date in certain circumstances may be prior to the death.
You may be running out of time, so do not wait to contact our office at 310.943.1171 to discuss a potential wrongful death case. View our website for more information on other types of cases we take.