Professional Negligence Law Reporter

Madaline Pitkin, 26, was booked into the Washington County jail after being arrested for unlawful possession of heroin. For the next week, while alone in her jail cell, Pitkin suffered from opioid withdrawal, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, and limited eating and drinking. Staff came to her cell but did not respond to her four requests for medical care and did not transfer her to a hospital. Pitkin later died of a cardiac event in her jail cell. She is survived by her parent and sibling.

Pitkin’s estate filed suit against Corizon Health, Inc., the county, and several health care staff members, alleging failure to diagnose and treat dehydration. The plaintiff argued that Pitkin required transfer to a hospital and intravenous saline in light of her symptoms. It also argued that the medical staff had failed to obtain a valid blood pressure reading the day before Pitkin’s death. Suit also alleged deliberate indifference for the county’s policy and custom of ignoring the needs of detainees who were suffering from opioid withdrawal.

The plaintiff accepted the defendants’ offer of judgment for $10 million.

Citation: Pitkin v. Corizon Health, Inc., No. 3:16-CV02235-AA (D. Or. Dec. 5, 2018).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ members Tim Jones and John Coletti, both of Portland, Ore.

Plaintiff experts: David Smith, addiction medicine, San Francisco; Skip Freedman, emergency medicine, Portland; John May, correctional health, Miami; and J. Paul Martin, addiction medicine, Asheville, N.C.

Defense experts: Carl Wigren, pathology, Seattle; Steven Shelton, correctional health, Salem, Ore.; Domenic Sica, pharmacology, Richmond, Va.; and Nathaniel Moore, addiction medicine, Aurora, Colo.