FEDERAL JUDGE APPROVES SETTLEMENT IN JAIL SUICIDE CASE

A federal judge approved a wrongful death settlement that will pay an amount in excess of $236,000 for the minor children of a man who committed suicide while he was confined in the Bladen County Jail in Elizabethtown, North Carolina.  The complaint, filed on behalf of Waylon Jennings Ellis, alleged that the Bladen County sheriff, jailers, and board of commissioners were negligent and violated Mr. Ellis' constitutional rights when they admitted him to the jail with the knowledge of a prior suicide attempt, but did not sufficiently monitor him or provide access to medical care.  The complaint also alleged that the sheriff and county failed to adopt policies and procedures for the provision of medical care that were sufficient to prevent inmates who posed a substantial risk of committing suicide from doing so.

For more information about this case or to speak with a North Carolina wrongful death lawyer, please contact info@tbsf-law.com.