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Tippecanoe County Jail Inmate Receives Incorrect Medical Treatment

Posted by: Steve Wagner
June 14, 2010
Topic: Civil Rights Violations

Lekeia Brown was admitted to the Tippecanoe County Jail on May 18, 2010, for unpaid child support. During the admitting process the nurse had to confiscate her seizure medication which she must take daily. The nurse then gave her a different medication three (3) times stronger than what she had been taking. Lekeia didn't know her prescription was switched. Immediately, she noticed a difference in the way she felt. Lekeia started having hot flashes, urinating every 10-15 minutes, experiencing symptoms of dehydration as well as migraines. That was just the beginning. She then saw blisters on her face and felt them in her mouth. Lekeia complained to the nurses on multiple occasions about her symptoms, but nothing was done. Since she looked fine on the outside they didn't bother to check her out.

On June 5, 2010 Lekeia Brown was admitted to St. Elizabeth East Hospital because her eyes were swollen shut and she couldn't see. The next day, June 6, 2010, she was transferred to Methodist Hospital in downtown Indianapolis where she is still undergoing treatment. Lekeia is lying in a hospital bed literally burning from the inside out, wondering if she will ever see again.

Lekeia is now suffering from what is called Stevens Johnsons Syndrome, which is a form of erythema multiforme and can be life threatening if not treated right away. This syndrome has a mortality rate of 5%, affects more adult women than men, and can cause permanent damage including blindness.

Over the past ten years, attorney Stephen M. Wagner has handled numerous cases against county Jails and Indiana state correctional facilities across Indiana. He has reached significant settlements in Allen County, Johnson County, and Pulaski County in cases where the medical care provided to detainees was alleged to be inadequate. Inadequate medical care in jails can arise in numerous situations such as prescription errors, failure to monitor for alcohol withdrawal and DT's, and failure to transfer inmates to outside specialists for evaluation. Mr. Wagner understands that these cases are tough because the public tends to have little sympathy for jail inmates. However, Mr. Wagner notes, "People who are arrested have rights, too. They have the right to emergency medical care and should be treated with respect and dignity. If jail nurses and other personnel are deliberately indifferent to serious medical conditions, the jail personnel involved can be sued for violating the inmate's constitutional rights." Mr. Wagner handles such civil rights cases throughout the state and can be reached for a free consultation at (800) 792-0332 or in the web at http://www.injuryattorneys.com/.


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