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$200,000 Settlement for Negligent Medical Care/ Treatment of Federal Prisoner

The Bureau of Prisons has agreed to pay Beatrice Codianni-Robles, a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut, $200,000 to settle a federal tort claims suit. After concluding a job on the prison yard on September 12, 1998, Codianni-Robles experienced pain in her left leg. She reported to the prison hospital, where she was informed that she had a muscle strain.

Two days later, Codianni-Robles again sought medical attention because she was having difficulty walking and standing. She was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication. She then reported to sick call on September 18 and 21. When she was unable to walk out of the chow hall on September 24, she was given crutches excused from work.

An emergency hospital call on September 26 landed Codianni-Robles in the infirmary. X-rays were taken on the 28th. They revealed a stress fracture of the neck of Codianni-Robles? left femur. To prevent a full thickness fracture, she was ordered to not walk without crutches and was scheduled for transfer to have surgery.

On the morning of September 30, Codianni-Robles was awoke early to be transferred. The ?goal? of that transfer was ?prevention of total fracture and rehabilitation of the hip. ?She was then shackled and handcuffed with a chain around her waist. A supervisor ordered the shackles removed.

The handcuff chain prevented use of crutches and a wheelchair was not provided. While hopping to the prison transport van, Codianni-Robles fell on the injured hip despite her screaming, painful pleas, she was forced to get into the can, unload into a private jet, and endure a flight from New York to Texas.

The surgeon noted that the fall caused a complete fracture, which required a compression hip screw and four-hole side plate with compression screw. In addition to the initial pain and suffering, Codianni-Robles sustained a shortening of her left leg, a lamp, difficulty walking, physical pain and serve emotional distress.

The complaint alleged various negligence theories based upon failure to establish on ?effective medical system? and failure ?to exercise the degree of care, skill and/or diligence employed by a medical cure provider under similar circumstances.?

The parties reached a settlement on December 2004, which pays $50,000 to the attorneys for Cordanni-Robles and the remaining $150,000 in various payments that extend to May 2011. See: Codianni-Robles v. United States, USDC D. Connecticut, Case No: 3:01-CV1659(AVC).

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Related legal case

Codianni-Robles v. United States

This is an unpublished case. The complaint and settlement are posted in the briefbank section of the website.