SAN FRANCISCO – A San Quentin State Prison inmate is suing three doctors, one nurse, one warden, and two correctional officers over allegations of negligent care.
Charles Truman filed a lawsuit on Sep. 10 against doctors E. Tootell, A. Devers, and G. Beatty, nurse L. Echavez, warden Ron Davis, and correctional officers M. Alvior and M. Woods over allegations of neglecting proper care and causing injuries while he was being transported back to the prison after having surgery.
As stated in the complaint, on Oct. 25, 2017, Truman was "transported via California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Officers Alvior and Woods to Pinole Medical Center to have surgery conducted on his head."
When returning to the prison, per the complaint, Alvior and Woods "failed to secure" Truman in the vehicle while tailgating and driving too fast.
The driver of the vehicle had to step on the break to avoid collision, however, Truman alleges he was "unable to protect himself from being projectiled from the rear seat head first into the vehicle's metal separation gate resulting in a hitting hard against it causing his neck to snap, shoulder to pop, a gash over his eye and concussion," the complaint states.
Once returned to prison, Truman alleges he was examined by nurse Echavez and Devers, who "glued" his eyelid laceration, but failed to perform a "concussion protocol procedure," as described in the complaint.
Tootell allegedly failed to advise Devers about procedures that should have been done on Truman. He alleges his pleas to see a neurologist outside San Quentin's facility that did not receive responses until three months later, where it was discovered he did suffer a concession, whiplash and a back injury.
Truman is seeking damages of more than $500,000 against each defendant and for each claim, plus punitive damages in the same amount, plus a jury trial, a declaration that the acts violated the federal and state constitutions and local and federal law, and costs and fees.
Truman is representing himself.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California case number 1:18-cv-05529-RMI