Paralyzed Rikers Island Inmate Files $196M Lawsuit against the NYC Department of Corrections and Health and Hospitals Blog

A 29-year-old man alleges that he made several complaints to correction officers and the medical staff at Rikers Island about the increasing pain in his back, as well as the weakness and numbness in his limbs. However, his grievances were reportedly not taken seriously and, as a result, he became paralyzed.
The victim was incapable of walking or lifting his arms and was eventually taken to Bellevue Hospital, where a CT scan indicated that an abscess was constricting his spinal cord. He entered Rikers Island in December 2014 and was hospitalized on January 12, 2015. After undergoing emergency surgery, he was paralyzed from the waist down and became incontinent. The inmate, an aspiring artist, said he never anticipated being unable to walk when he left Rikers.
He was in Rikers because he had been charged with selling methamphetamine to an undercover cop on several occasions. Now he has provided notice that he intends to file a $196 million lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and Health and Hospitals, which is in charge of providing medical care to inmates. The victim’s attorney said that this case reveals that Rikers has very serious issues concerning the medical care of its inmates that require attention before any more inmates suffer paralysis for the rest of their lives.
Prior to the revocation of the victim’s bail for not attending drug rehab, he was examined regarding his back pain in two separate emergency rooms. Moreover, he had been scheduled for an MRI before being incarcerated. However, upon his arrival at Rikers, he was only given painkillers because the officers did not believe his complaints of pain. His attorney argues that had he received a diagnosis of, and treatment for, the abscess sooner, his spinal injury could have been avoided.
To learn more about this case, view the NYDailyNews.com article, “Rikers Inmate Says Neglect Led to His Paralysis.”

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