Filing a Lawsuit Regarding Jail Negligence

A recent memorandum opinion and order sheds light on lawsuits against jails and medical providers for alleged negligence or constitutional violations.  In the legal case of Austin Sellars v. Sheriff Department Dickson County, et al., Austin Sellars, an inmate at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging constitutional violations during his prior confinement at the Dickson County Jail. He claimed, among other things, that he was denied access to psychiatric medications. Sellars named the Dickson County Sheriff’s Department, Southern Health Partners, and two nurses as defendants.

The court initially addressed Sellars’ application to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), which allows indigent individuals to file lawsuits without paying fees upfront. The application was granted, but Sellars was required to pay a $350 filing fee in installments from his inmate trust account.

Upon initial review of Sellars’ complaint, the court dismissed the case for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. The court found that the Dickson County Sheriff’s Department was not a suable entity under § 1983. Regarding Sellars’ claims against Southern Health Partners and the nurses, the court determined that Sellars failed to establish constitutional violations. Specifically, while Sellars alleged deliberate indifference to his medical needs by denying him psychiatric medications, the court found that he did not demonstrate a serious medical need as required by the Eighth Amendment.

This case is important because it highlights legal procedures regarding inmate lawsuits and the standards for asserting constitutional violations in such cases. It also underscores the significance of properly identifying defendants and alleging specific constitutional violations with supporting allegations in a complaint. Southern Health Partners, which the court determined should not have been sued based on the law and facts in the complaint, is a healthcare provider for correctional facilities and jails across the United States.

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.