Personal Injury Law

Settlement reached in Denver Jail death

By Edward Bills

The family of Emily Rae Rice, who died while in custody at the Denver City Jail, has reached a $4 million settlement with Denver Health Medical Center.

As part of the settlement, Denver Health agreed to significant changes in patient screening and treatment at both the medical center and the jail.

Rice, 24, died Feb. 19, 2006, in the jail 20 hours after she was released from the hospital. She had suffered a lacerated spleen and liver and bled to death from injuries she sustained in a drunken-driving crash.

Rice’s family had filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Denver Health. The settlement reached does not apply to others named in the suit — the Denver Sheriff’s Department and several deputies who were working in the jail when she died.

But besides the money, the Rice family was gratified by the changes Denver Health agreed to make, particularly checking patients for vital signs at intake and release and every four hours.

Full post as published by Bodily Injury Blog on June 02, 2008 (boomark / email).