$5,000 Settlement in Ohio Prisoner's Suit over Improper Assignment to Upper Bunk
On June 8, 2015, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction agreed to a $5,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by a prisoner who was assigned to an upper bunk despite having a medical restriction requiring his assignment to lower bunks.
Jerome White, 25, was incarcerated at the Mansfield Correctional Institution when he was injured attempting to jump up to his upper bunk. He allegedly suffered aggravation of a previously torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament as well as injuries to his head, face, and mouth when he fell.
With the assistance of Reynoldsburg, Ohio attorney Richard F. Swope, White filed suit alleging negligence in state court. He claimed that he had a bottom-bunk-only medical restriction prior to being placed in a segregation unit where guards who knew or should have known about the medical restriction assigned him an upper bunk. White alleged that willfully ignoring his medical restriction constituted negligence. The Department agreed to settle the case for $5,000. See: White v. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio Court of Claims, Case No. 2013-00668.
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
Related legal case
White v. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
| Year | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Cite | Ohio Court of Claims, Case No. 2013-00668 |
| Level | State Court of Appeals |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Damages | 5,000 |