Imperial County Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Inmate’s Death

A federal judge has denied the defense’s motion to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit against Imperial County, Naphcare Inc., among other defendants, allowing the case to move forward. The lawsuit was filed by the family of an inmate who died while in the custody of Imperial County. His family alleges that officials and medical personnel failed to provide adequate medical care, leading to his death. The decedent, a marine veteran and insulin-dependent diabetic with a seizure disorder, was arrested for driving under the influence on June 22, 2023, by a California Highway Patrol officer when he was found drunk behind the wheel of his pickup truck after driving into a man-made riverbed on June 22, 2023.

The decedent was taken to Imperial County jail in El Centro, where he was evaluated by a jailhouse nurse. According to the lawsuit, the nurse noted that the decedent was dehydrated, had a tachycardic heart rate, high respiration rate, high blood pressure, dangerously high blood sugar levels, and possibly suffered from kidney or liver disease as well as heart issues.

Despite these conditions, the jailhouse nurse did not administer insulin or IV hydration. Instead, she ordered the decedent to be transported to a Medical Center. However, rather than taking him to a hospital, two officers dropped him off at the Ocotillo Inn motel in El Centro. There he was found later dead due to complications from ketoacidosis shock and hypoglycemic shock. Motel staff discovered his body the following morning.

The wrongful death lawsuit

 The lawsuit claims that the officers, Imperial County, and Naphcare Inc. (the private medical company contracted to provide healthcare at the jail) were deliberately indifferent to the decedent’s medical needs, thus violating his 14th Amendment rights.

The wrongful death lawsuit also asserts that Imperial County and Naphcare fail to train jail personnel adequately, despite previous inmate deaths, and that should have alerted them to systemic deficiencies.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, a U.S. District judge ruled that the plaintiffs had sufficiently alleged that the defendants’ inadequate training policies contributed to the decedent’s death. The judge rejected the nurse’s argument that she acted in the decedent’s best interests, ruling that her failure to administer insulin or insist on ambulance transport placed the decedent in greater danger.

The judge also dismissed arguments raised by the county that the decedent was not entitled to medical care because he was never formally booked into the jail. The judge found this claim unconvincing, noting that the decedent remained in county custody from the time of his arrest until the time he was left at the motel. In addition, the judge denied Naphcare and the nurse’s request to dismiss the family’s claim for punitive damages, ruling that allegations of reckless indifference and callous disregard for the decedent’s rights were sufficient to proceed.

Talk to an Oakland CA wrongful death attorney today 

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of grieving family members in wrongful death lawsuits filed against negligent defendants. We serve the Bay Area from our office locations in Oakland and Walnut Creek. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment and we can begin discussing your case right away.

Source:

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