Estate of Hampton v. Androscoggin County.

• Position: MEDICAL CARE - Brief Article

U.S. District Court

FAILURE TO PROVIDE CARE

DELIBERATE INDIFFERENCE

NEGLIGENCE

Estate of Hampton v. Androscoggin County, 245 F.Supp.2d 150 (D.Me. 2002). The estate of a county jail inmate filed a state court action against a county and county officials. The case was removed to federal court, where the defendants moved for summary judgment. The federal district court granted summary judgment for the defendants, finding that the county was not liable under [section] 1983 and that the sheriff was immune from liability under a state court claims act. According to the court, even if the inmate's death was attributable to a jail officer's refusal to summon emergency medical personnel upon the inmate's request, and there was evidence of another incident in which officers denied another inmate his medication, there was no evidence that either incident involved so many jail staff as to reflect a widespread practice. The inmate had been brought to the jail in the afternoon, and he told an admitting officer that he did not suffer from any disability, did not require any form of assistance...