BENTON — A prison inmate is suing the health operators of a prison, alleging he was not given prompt care after sustaining an injury.
Darren Remmer filed a complaint April 15 in U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois against Wexford Health Sources Inc., Dr. Faiyaz Ahmed, Dr. Vipin Shah, Nurse Dowdy, John Doe and Jane Doe, alleging violation of the Eighth Amendment and delayed surgery.
The suit states Remmer, who has experience in hospice care, reported for work Nov. 25, 2017, at the Lawrence Correctional Center. The plaintiff claims he was a prison health care porter and assisted nurses and inmates with a number of daily tasks, such as bathing, eating and dressing.
The plaintiff alleges he was injured while trying to move the body of a dead patient who weighed 270 pounds. He alleges Dowdy dropped the patient's feet, causing Remmer to carry all the weight.
Remmer alleges he instantly felt that he had been injured by the excess weight he was holding and reported it to the defendants. The plaintiff, who filled out an incident report, claims he now suffers from chronic pain and has been diagnosed with inguinal hernias.
Remmer alleges he would not be in his current condition he is if he were given treatment promptly after suffering the hernias.
Remmer seeks trial by jury, compensatory damages of $1 million, punitive damages of $100,000, costs of suit and all just relief. The plaintiff is representing himself pro se.
U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:19-CV-00420.