Angela Lowe, the widow of R&B singer Sean Levert, who died suspiciously six days after being jailed back in March 2008, has settled her lawsuit against Cuyahoga County in Ohio and the umbrella company that oversees medical care at the jail.
The settlement, which was reached yesterday, is one of the largest in the state's history.
According to Lowe's attorney David Malik, the court documents do not contain admission of liability, but it was agreed overall that Levert's death was an unexpected tragedy.
Levert, who was 39 at the time of death, was arrested for back child support payments in excess of $90,000. He had three children from former relationships. The former member of the 1980's R&B group LeVert was not allowed to take his prescribed anti-anxiety medication, Xanax, during the entire time he was jailed.
A coroner's report revealed that the singer's death was a direct result of withdrawals from not being able to take the drug. Levert began to hallucinate in jail and had trouble breathing after guards shackled him to a restraint chair.
Medical negligence and absurd jail policies contributed to Levert's death. There was no provision in place for inmates to get their prescribed medications upon arrival, which meant that many had to go without them for long periods.
A year after Levert's untimely death, the jail adopted a policy stating that inmates taking anti-anxiety drugs should be given those meds once their prescriptions are verified. If the prescription can't be verified, the inmate should be scheduled to see a psychiatrist that day or the next.
"Sean's Law," named after Levert and sponsored in the Ohio General Assembly by State Rep. Barbara Boyd, mandates that every county jail give each inmate a thorough medical, dental and mental-health exam upon arrival.
Sean's father is lead O'Jays vocalist Eddie Levert.
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Part of the problem is the common person (people on this site) dont understand the laws involved with medications. Police officers are not under any reason allowed to give out meds. I am a registered nurse. The problem is that the budgets dont allow for full time nursing at county jails like they do at state prisons. Only a LPN, RN or or a doctor can legally give out any meds to a patient and then only after a doctor has ordered them. So even if you have your meds with you, they will not allow you take them for one because they dont know if you have spiked them with something and for two their doctor on site has to order them for the patient. I have done prison nursing on and off for awhile now. We do treat diabetics and pain management and mental health drugs. The only inmates we will force to come to us is the mental health because their meds are mandated for them to take. If a diabetic does not come down at appointed times or if the inmate for pain dont come down, it is not my job to send a guard to hunt them down for this. There is way to many inamtes for me to play babysitter on each one to take their meds. I dont know how county works, but I do know when you get to prison each inmate is seen by a doctor, dentist and mental health on the day they arrive.I do know that the county jails only have part time nurses so I am sure they dont have one their 24/7. But also understand we will get inmates who will not give us their medical history just so they can go into seizures or withdraw and we send them out to the local hospital. Inmates live to get sent out. So its not always the nursing staff faults. I do think that something needs to change at the county level. It seems they are starting to with the new laws.
This is a sad situation. Some medications are so necessary that the patient can even die from lack of them. Although rare, the Xanax has to be withdrawn gradually; otherwise the patient can get a severe anxiety attack and harm himself and/or others. Even a diabetic can be in big trouble with their meds. They need to change the rules to do the humane thing when it comes to meds and the like. Other things can be taken care of afterwards.
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Comments: (43)
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By: robyn on 6/21/2010 1:44PM
Part of the problem is the common person (people on this site) dont understand the laws involved with medications. Police officers are not under any reason allowed to give out meds. I am a registered nurse. The problem is that the budgets dont allow for full time nursing at county jails like they do at state prisons. Only a LPN, RN or or a doctor can legally give out any meds to a patient and then only after a doctor has ordered them. So even if you have your meds with you, they will not allow you take them for one because they dont know if you have spiked them with something and for two their doctor on site has to order them for the patient. I have done prison nursing on and off for awhile now. We do treat diabetics and pain management and mental health drugs. The only inmates we will force to come to us is the mental health because their meds are mandated for them to take. If a diabetic does not come down at appointed times or if the inmate for pain dont come down, it is not my job to send a guard to hunt them down for this. There is way to many inamtes for me to play babysitter on each one to take their meds. I dont know how county works, but I do know when you get to prison each inmate is seen by a doctor, dentist and mental health on the day they arrive.I do know that the county jails only have part time nurses so I am sure they dont have one their 24/7. But also understand we will get inmates who will not give us their medical history just so they can go into seizures or withdraw and we send them out to the local hospital. Inmates live to get sent out. So its not always the nursing staff faults. I do think that something needs to change at the county level. It seems they are starting to with the new laws.
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By: Sabrina on 6/21/2010 2:09PM
This is a sad situation. Some medications are so necessary that the patient can even die from lack of them. Although rare, the Xanax has to be withdrawn gradually; otherwise the patient can get a severe anxiety attack and harm himself and/or others. Even a diabetic can be in big trouble with their meds. They need to change the rules to do the humane thing when it comes to meds and the like. Other things can be taken care of afterwards.
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