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| Woman who delivered son in jail files claim over death |
| By Arizona Daily Star |
| Published: 04/05/2004 |
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A woman whose son died when she went into premature labor and gave birth at the Pima County (Ariz.) jail has begun the process of filing a million-dollar lawsuit against the county and the company that provides medical care at the jail. An attorney for Valerie Lopez, 23, began sending notices of claim, legally required before a lawsuit can be filed, last Wednesday to Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, whose department runs the jail; the county, including the Board of Supervisors; First Correctional Medical and the various nurses and corrections officers involved in the September 2003 incident. The $1.75 million claim says Lopez's rights were violated by inadequate medical care and that she suffered serious injuries and emotional trauma when officials ignored her complaints of pain for 10 hours. They finally took her to the medical unit, where she pulled down her pants and gave birth on a table with only two Tylenol to ease her pain. Although the claim acknowledges the possibility the child would not have survived - Lopez was only 23 weeks' pregnant and had a uterine infection - attorney Thabet Khalidi said both could have been overcome if Lopez had received proper, timely care. Labor might have been stopped, he said, and other aid rendered. "There can be no doubt she suffered severe emotional distress as she watched her premature baby die between her legs with the nurses providing no care to him," Khalidi wrote. Neither officials with the county, Sheriff's Department nor First Correctional would comment on the claim. At the time of the incident, jail officials said things should have been handled better. |
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