Man dies in jail due to ruptured appendix; family sues Potter County

POTTER COUNTY, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The family of a 26-year-old Potter County man who died of appendicitis in the Potter County Jail in 2022 filed a lawsuit Thursday in Amarillo federal court against Potter County, stating that the county: He insisted that. violated his constitutional rights and led to his death.

Larry Douglas Jr. was arrested after a traffic stop in February and died on March 9, 2022 while in custody at the Potter County Jail awaiting trial, according to court documents filed Thursday. According to court documents, Douglas, other inmates and prison staff said Douglas had been experiencing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, sweating and chills for about four days, but emergency medical services were not called. Douglas reported that he was not hospitalized.

According to court documents, Douglas was transferred to a cell at the Potter County Jail on March 9 for “observation” until a nurse arrived the next day, where he was seen on surveillance video until he collapsed and died shortly after 10 p.m. It is said that he was He was pronounced dead around 10:45 p.m., and both the Texas Rangers and the Texas Jail Standards Commission investigated the incident.

According to court documents, Douglas’ autopsy report concluded that she died of appendicitis and a ruptured appendix. The suit alleges that Douglass could have survived had he been taken to one of several local hospitals for treatment, but instead Potter County has shown “deliberate indifference” and its policies and practices. , alleging that they acted in an “objectively unreasonable” manner regarding the policy, causing Douglas’ death. Customs.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, and documents say the family is seeking damages, including medical expenses, funeral costs, legal fees and “all other relief” to which they may be entitled. .

“We do not live in a third world country. Young people should not die from appendicitis when our health care is probably the best in the world,” Douglas’ family said in the lawsuit. said Dean Malone, a constitutional rights attorney. “The survival rate for a ruptured appendix is ​​over 95%. If the appendix hasn’t ruptured, it’s over 99%. The survival rate for a young man like Larry is probably much higher. If Larry had symptoms of appendicitis, If he had been anywhere other than the Potter County Jail, he would have gone to a local hospital, received excellent treatment, and survived. There is no excuse to linger and die.”

MyHighPlains.com has reached out to Potter County officials for further comment.