article: On July 25, 2007, the parents of a young woman arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the County and City of Denver against the City and County of Denver, Colorado, Denver Department of Health and Hospitals. The plaintiff, represented by private counsel asked the court for declaratory relief, economic losses. compensatory and consequential damages, and punitive damages claiming under Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the defendants failed to provide medical care and treatments as well as failure to properly train and supervise. On the morning of February 18, 2006, Emily Rice was involved in a non-fatal car collision in which her car was destroyed and she suffered life-threatening injuries. After being transported by paramedics to the local hospital Denver Health, operated by the Defendant, she complained of shoulder and abdomen pain. She was booked at the Denver Health as a detainee. The only test performed on Rice was a breathalyzer to determine her blood alcohol which was determined to be .12. Rice was given ibuprofen and then released to the Denver Sheriffs for detention at the Denver County Jail. She was placed in an isolation cell for several hours. Rice continued to complain and was briefly seen by a nurse who told Rice to sleep the pain off. Rice fainted during the intake process. She was not treated by the jail nurse. The Denver Jail staff pulled Rice to her feet and continued the intake process. Rice began to complain of numbness in her feet which had turned cold and grey. The jail doctor was informed of Rice's condition and diagnosed her with drunkenness for which she needed to get sleep. Throughout the night Rice and other inmates yelled for help for which there was no reply from the guards. Eventually Rice complained of numbness is her legs and that was unable to move them. The on-staff nurse was informed of Rice's condition; she never visited to Rice to treat her. Approximately 24-hours after Rice's car collision, she died in her jail cell. The official medical report stated that the cause of death was a ruptured spleen. On December 2, 2008, settlement was reached for a non-disclosed amount. Media reports stated the amount was approximately $4 million. On December 17, 2008, Judge Marcia Krieger dismissed the case in light of the settlement.
summary: On July 25, 2007, the parents of a young woman arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the County and City of Denver against the City and County of Denver, Colorado, Denver Department of Health and Hospitals, claiming under Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the defendants failed to provide medical care and treatments as well as failure to properly train and supervise. On December 2, 2008, settlement was reached for a non-disclosed amount. Media reports stated the amount was approximately $4 million.