Jury sides with inmate’s estate in wrongful death suit

By Reed Williams | Richmond Times-Dispatch | September 13, 2011

A Richmond jury returned a $2.4 million verdict Tuesday against the sheriff and the jail’s former chief physician in a wrongful-death case involving a prisoner at the City Jail, according to an attorney in the case.

The attorney, Mark J. Krudys, said the Circuit Court jury awarded the damages to the estate of James D. Robinson, ruling against Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. and Dr. Stanley Furman.

Robinson, 46, died March 9, 2008, at VCU Medical Center after he collapsed at the jail. Furman and medical staff at the jail failed to diagnose or properly treat Robinson’s pneumonia, despite requests by Robinson and others that he receive medical care, said Krudys, an attorney representing Robinson’s estate.

“The pneumonia was so extensive that the other side’s expert testified that Mr. Robinson essentially drowned from pus that had collected in his lungs,” Krudys said.

Krudys said Woody was found liable not because of his own conduct but because of staff members’ conduct. Attorneys for Woody and Furman could not immediately be reached for comment.

In an email, Richmond sheriff’s Maj. Jerry Baldwin wrote that it would be inappropriate to comment on the case. “The sheriff and members of our staff will reserve any comments on this matter for a later date and time,” he wrote.

Tuesday’s verdict came after a trial that had started one week earlier.

Krudys said Robinson was taken from a lockup facility to the jail on Feb. 26, 2008. He was held there on charges including property damage and driving on a suspended license, according to a complaint filed on behalf of Robinson’s estate.

The charges stem from an incident in which he crashed his car into a house Feb. 24. He was found by rescue personnel wandering and in a confused state, Krudys said. He was taken to VCU Medical Center and found to have suffered a seizure while driving, the complaint says, then taken to the lockup.

Despite Robinson’s seizure disorder he was not placed on a medical tier at the jail but was housed in general population and did not receive his seizure medication for 10 consecutive days, Krudys said.

Witnesses have reported that Robinson was in constant pain throughout his time at the jail and had complained frequently that his chest, midsection and side were hurting and his legs were swollen, Krudys said. He could hardly walk, appeared hunched over and did little but stay in bed all day, the complaint says.

According to witness statements mentioned in the complaint, deputies ignored Robinson’s requests for help. At one point, Robinson was writhing in pain outside a dining room as other inmates ate, but deputies did not help him, the complaint says.

His mother also tried to get him help. She called the jail and spoke to someone she believed was a nurse, who said jail staff members were treating Robinson effectively, the complaint says.

Although he complained of severe abdominal pain and trouble breathing, a health employee ordered X-rays of the abdomen and lower back only and no chest X-rays, the complaint says. This employee was not medically licensed to order the X-ray, Krudys said.

Furman concluded that Robinson’s lungs were clear even though they “definitely were not clear but were harboring a growing and deadly infection,” the complaint says. Robinson had been suffering from pneumonia for about five days, Krudys said.

Robinson was taken to VCU Medical Center after he collapsed March 9, started shaking and was found to have no pulse, the complaint says. A medical employee had tried to revive Robinson using a defibrillator machine that was not working, Krudys said.

Tuesday’s verdict came less than two months after the Sheriff’s Office announced it had entered into a $4 million, three-year contract with Nashville, Tenn.-based Correct Care Solutions to provide medical services at the City Jail and Jail Annex.

See Original Article Here.