Prisoners Sue for Being Denied Hepatitis C Treatment

Free Case Evaluation

Prisoners Sue for Being Denied Hepatitis C TreatmentSeveral Nevada prisoners have filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging that prison staff haven’t provided them with necessary treatment for hepatitis C.

Nevada is one of the dozen states where prison officials have denied or limited access to hepatitis C medication due to the high cost. One round of treatment can cost up to $30,000.

Elizabeth Carley, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said that she suffered liver damage, fatigue and stomach pain from hepatitis C. She went to prison in 2012 after getting convicted of theft and forgery. Two years later, she was diagnosed with the disease.

At least three separate times, Carley begged the prison medical staff and prison officials to give her hepatitis C medication. The officials denied her requests, saying that her condition hadn’t progressed enough to meet the criteria for treatment.

“As the disease is allowed to attack my liver, over time, my liver will fail to work properly causing me serious bodily harm,” she said. “It is not medically accurate or proper treatment procedure to wait until hep C gets worse before treating it.”

Nevada prison officials have received several similar complaints and revised their hepatitis C treatment policies last month. However, the lawsuit states that the prison system is still denying or delaying thousands of Nevada inmates suffering from hepatitis C, access to treatment.

The suit claims that the revised policy still causes delays in treatment for many inmates, forcing their condition to worsen and putting them in danger of liver failure, cancer and death.

“While they have appeared to remove the absolute exclusion of some patients, they still have not committed to providing everyone who needs the cure with the cure,” said Maggie McLetchie, whose firm is co-counsel with Hosmer-Henner in the class-action suit. “Prioritizing treatment, by definition, means that they are going to be denying or delaying care to some people who need it.”

“The point is to provide treatment to the inmates for a treatable disease before it worsens to the point that they have irreparable damage to their bodies,” said Adam Hosmer-Henner, a partner in the Nevada law firm McDonald Carano, who is representing the inmates in the class-action suit.

 

workers compensation attorneys in dc

Injury Attorneys DC, MD, VA – Get the Compensation You Deserve! Whether you have been injured in a car accident, a malpractice victim, injured on the job, as the result of shoddy craftsmanship, or in a slip and fall, we can help! Our experienced, competent attorneys excel in all areas of personal injury law.

Practice Areas 

FREE CASE EVALUATION

Our team is available and ready to help you with your case. Feel free to contact us via the form below or call us 24/7 at 202-955-4529

Recent Posts

Client Review

"The legal team at Cohen & Cohen did a great job I really appreciate the hard work on gating my compensation in a fair amount of time. Special thanks to Kris for a wonderful job."
Jose Rivera
Client Review

"I had a great experience with the team at Cohen & Cohen. From my intake attorney, Adam, to the paralegal, Bryan, who worked with me regularly for months to document and prepare my case, to Jill, the attorney who secured my settlement, I feel fortunate to have had their representation and expertise on my side."
Lea Harvey
Client Review

Read more:

Cohen & Cohen has an  impeccable Client Satisfaction Rating with hundreds of
5 STAR Reviews. We are among the best-rated firms in the areas we serve.

Cohen & Cohen has an  impeccable Client Satisfaction Rating with hundreds of
5 STAR Reviews. We are among the best-rated firms in the areas we serve.