Seeking Justice for Victims of Prison Inmate Wrongful Death
When the courts hand down a non-life prison sentence, the expectation is that the inmate will serve their time and eventually return to their families and loved ones. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Some inmates never have the opportunity to return home. When that happens, it can be difficult for their loved ones to determine whether this was a natural passing or whether the prison authorities should have done more to protect the inmate and prevent a prison wrongful death.
That is where the attorneys at Employee Rights Law Firm step in. We understand that prisons have a duty of care to their inmates; it’s their job to ensure that inmates can serve their sentences safely and return to their loved ones once their debts to society are paid. If prison authorities fail to do this, we’re there to hold them accountable. Trust us to handle your prison inmate wrongful death case in the Cameron, Chillicothe, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield, or Vandalia, MO area.
What Is Wrongful Death In Prison?
Wrongful death occurs when someone dies due to someone else's negligence or mistreatment. It might happen as the result of a surgery gone wrong, a car crash, or similar instances; for our purposes, a wrongful death can occur in prison if a DOC worker or the government did not provide proper protection and resources for those under their responsibility. Some common prison inmate wrongful death situations include:
- Excessive Force: This occurs when a DOC worker uses excessive force on an inmate, such as chokeholds or illegal use of tasers.
- Inadequate Care: This can encompass many things, including improper medical assistance to inmates in need, including failing to properly monitor or help inmates on suicide watch, providing improper medical assistance to needy inmates, or failure to properly administer medication or necessary health care.
- Failure by Administration to Recognize and Stop Violence Among Inmates:
In these or similar situations, a DOC worker or the government itself might be responsible for the death of an inmate. You will need to prove certain elements in order to make your prison wrongful death claim.
Life Sentences Should Be Handed Down By The Courts, Not Prison Authorities
Determining whether an inmate is the victim of prison wrongful death is complicated. The statutes governing the proper care of prisoners are complex. To further complicate matters, jail authorities often willfully obfuscate the matter or even mislead inmates’ loved ones as they attempt to shield themselves from accusations of wrongdoing. Even if the facts of a prison inmate wrongful death case appear to be clear, families may not know where or how to seek redress.
The important thing to remember is that your loved one had rights, even in prison. Our prison wrongful death attorneys are here to help you protect those rights. If your loved one was the victim of wrongful death while in prison, we can help you seek justice, get restitution, and hopefully ensure that no other family has to suffer the way yours has. We are available for clients throughout Cameron, Chillicothe, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield, Vandalia, and beyond.
Call Us Today If You Suspect Your Loved One May Be A Victim Of Prison Wrongful Death
The experienced civil rights attorneys at Employee Rights Law Firm are standing by to help you pursue a prison inmate wrongful death claim. We can hear the basic facts of the case from you, then work to gather evidence from the prison to find out what really happened. If the evidence shows that you may have a claim, we can determine whether to pursue it in state or federal court and let you know what sorts of remedies you can reasonably expect. The amount of recoverable damages will depend on the specific details of a particular situation. Neglect and abuse may be handled differently, and whether the prison is private versus state or federal has an impact as well. Our prison wrongful death attorneys have experience with factors ranging from suicides and transportation accidents to drug withdrawals, slips and falls, and everything in between.
If you suspect that your loved one might be a victim of prison wrongful death, we urge you to contact us today. We regularly assist loved ones and families from Cameron, Jefferson City, Vandalia, Chillicothe, Kansas City, Springfield, and the surrounding areas of MO. Let us help you seek justice in your loved one’s name.
Call today.
