Press release: 43-Year-Old Man Dies as a Result of Untreated Head Injury Occurring in Rockwall County Jail – Federal Lawsuit Filed

43-Year-Old Man Dies as a Result of Untreated Head Injury Occurring in Rockwall County Jail – Federal Lawsuit Filed

For Immediate Release

Dallas, Texas – September 20, 2024

Michael Galvan was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated and transported to and held in the Rockwall County jail. After a period of time, Mr. Galvan began exhibiting bizarre behavior, talking to himself, trying to open locked doors, and interacting with non-existent objects. He was unsteady on his feet. He then suffered a series of falls resulting in a severe head injury. These occurred over an extended period of time, and no emergency medical treatment was obtained. Instead, jail personnel would generally take vital signs and/or look at Mr. Galvan’s head and/or his pupils. Finally, after a lengthy period of time and several falls, and once Mr. Galvan was unconscious, EMS personnel were called. Mr. Galvan was transported to a local hospital for emergency medical treatment. Mr. Galvan ultimately died from a head injury which could have been remedied surgically had he been provided timely emergency medical treatment.

Constitutional rights lawyer Dean Malone represents Mr. Galvan’s parents and filed a federal lawsuit in Dallas against Rockwall County and the jail’s for-profit healthcare provider. Mr. Malone said, “It makes little sense to continue taking Mr. Galvan’s vital signs, rather than calling EMS and/or taking him to a local emergency room for evaluation. He clearly began exhibiting bizarre behavior which he did not exhibit when he was first incarcerated, and a number of people in the jail knew that he had fallen several times and hit his head. There is no shortage of competent medical personnel in hospitals in the Dallas area, and timely transport to an appropriate hospital would have saved Mr. Galvan’s life.”

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.