Illinois Inmate’s Family Secures $800,000 Wrongful Death Settlement, One of the Largest Amounts Ever Paid for an Illinois Prison Suit

A wrongful death lawsuit filed against Wexford Health Sources, the healthcare provider for the Illinois prison system, has reportedly been settled for $800,000.

This marks one of the single largest payouts for a suit alleging subpar medical care in the Illinois prison system.

Details of the Case

According to federal court records for this case, the plaintiffs alleged that Wexford’s physicians failed to diagnose and properly treat their loved one, 53-year-old Alfonso Franco, for colon cancer.

As the complaint details, Franco was incarcerated in 2009 for a nonviolent drug offense. When he entered the Illinois prison system at that time, a routine test reportedly indicated that he had abnormal amounts of lipids and liver enzymes in his system, a possible red flag for cancer.

One year later, Franco complained of constipation, at which time he was prescribed milk of magnesia and was not tested for cancer. By November 2011, Franco reported experiencing problems making bowel movements, lower back pain, nausea and dramatic weight loss. Within a month, he was unable to urinate. At that time, a Wexford doctor diagnosed Franco with hemorrhoids.

By the summer 2012, Franco had lost more than 40 pounds, had blood in his stool and was having up to 40 bowel movements per day. It was not until July 2012 when Franco was finally taken to an emergency room, where a CT scan revealed that he was suffering from late-stage colon cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and liver. He died one month later.

As an expert witness for the plaintiff in this case explained, “a terminally ill patient near death, Mr. Franco remained undiagnosed in an environment specifically designed to diagnose and treat illness, with nurses and doctors apparently oblivious to what should have been obvious to any neophyte health care student.”

Interestingly, Wexford has reportedly paid about $3.1 million to settle 38 claims against it over the past five years. Additionally, both Wexford and the Illinois Department of Corrections have been under fire for allegedly violating inmates’ constitutional rights as a result of failing to provide them with adequate health care.

Contact a Mount Vernon Wrongful Death Lawyer at the Law Firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C.

If you have lost a loved one to subpar medical care – or any type of negligence, an experienced Mount Vernon wrongful death lawyer at the Law Firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C. is ready to stand up for your rights and get you on the path to justice and financial recovery. Since 1950, our trusted attorneys have been focusing on our clients’ needs and have been doing everything we can to help them get the maximum possible compensation for their losses.

To learn more about your options for recovery and how we can help you, contact us by calling (888) 896-9381 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page. We can provide you with a free, thorough assessment of your case, along with professional advice regarding the best manner in which to move forward.