BENTON – A husband and wife from Benton are suing a municipality, alleging inadequate and improper medical care the husband received while an inmate at the Franklin County jail.
Michael C. Lampley and Terri L. Lampley filed a lawsuit Feb. 1 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Franklin County, Sheriff Donald Jones, sheriff's deputies and several medical personnel, among other listed defendants.
According to the complaint, Michael Lampley has a medical condition known as diverticulitis, which affects the intestine, a condition that requires a special diet. However, the lawsuit alleges, the plaintiff's dietary restrictions were ignored and while he was incarcerated Feb. 2, 2014, he began to experience severe pain in his abdomen.
The suit says the plaintiff requested his doctor but, instead, was moved to a segregated cell and no jail personnel contacted a doctor on his behalf until Feb. 8, 2014. A day later, the lawsuit states, Lampley was taken to Franklin Hospital where it was discovered he had a severe infection of the bowel and that his intestine had ruptured. He had emergency surgery, including the removal of a large portion of his intestine and a colostomy bag, the lawsuit says, and Lampley was returned to the jail Feb. 17.
However, the suit continues, the jail had no way to care for the plaintiff, including changing the colostomy bag, and on Feb. 18, Terri Lampley was called to change it. Michael Lampley was released from jail the next day because the jail couldn't accommodate his medical care, the suit says.
The complaint alleges deliberate indifference to the dietary restrictions of the plaintiff and failure to provide medically prescribed meals, failure to provide adequate and necessary medical care and medical negligence. Terri Lampley charges loss of consortium.
The Lampleys seek compensatory damages, attorney fees and court costs. They are represented by attorney Michael Gras of the Law Office of Christopher Cueto Ltd. of Belleville.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 16-cv-117