Hum Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 CHICAGO (AP) -- The Cook County Board agreed to pay $950,000 to settle a claim that an inmate's requests for medical attention were ignored before she died in jail. The county settled the lawsuit on Wednesday without admitting liability in the 2002 death of Marie O'Donnell-Smith at Cook County Jail, court records showed. O'Donnell-Smith, 38, who had been arrested on a shoplifting charge, collapsed at the jail. According to court documents, she was a heroin addict suffering withdrawal symptoms. The lawsuit alleged that a nurse at the jail's health service told O'Donnell-Smith that she would have to crawl to the dispensary. It said two nurses then pulled and pinched her arms and legs while she was on the floor. She was found dead in her cell hours later. A doctor hired by her family said she would have lived if she received appropriate care. Her vomiting and dehydration from the heroin withdrawal caused irregular heart arrhythmia, which resulted in her heart stopping, the doctor said. The Cook County Sheriff's office already agreed to pay $50,000 in the case, bringing the total payment to $1 million. A message left for Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was not returned Thursday morning. Family attorney Kevin Golden said one nurse was fired and another was disciplined after the death. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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