A Minnesota county will pay a man a historic $12.2 million settlement after a stay in the local jail almost killed him due to a bacterial infection.
Terrance Dwayne Winborn has been trying to adjust to living without his limbs since he nearly died in 2020. His lawyers said that the jail staff’s negligence and failure to provide adequate medical treatment later worsened his condition and ultimately caused permanent injury.
The then-59-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 27, 2020, for “driving and alcohol-related infractions” and held at Scott County Jail in Shakopee, about 25 miles from Minneapolis, according to court documents obtained by Atlanta Black Star. Police officers conducted a breathalyzer test, which showed that his blood alcohol content measured at 0.13 percent, higher than the legal limit.
Around 10 a.m., Winborn began vomiting “a couple of times,” including an hour later when he returned from his bail hearing, which his attorney argued was a warning of his medical condition. They also noted that the vomiting did not result from his BAC level.
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Despite his symptoms, the lawsuit stated that the medical staff did not evaluate him. In addition, he also complained about his arthritis and not having his medication — which was taken away by jail staff upon arrival. When his complaints were sent to medical staff, the correction officers were told that the nurse ordered an inhaler and that he could have “OTC Tylenol.”
The following day, at about 10 a.m. on Aug. 28, Winborn was “unable to stand” during his medical assessment, according to the lawsuit. He was mumbling; one of his hands was swollen, and he was in pain. And a short time later, he was showing signs of abnormal breathing. The lawsuit alleges that he was still not given proper medical treatment and was held in booking for “monitoring.”
Hours later in the afternoon, Winborn had fallen out of his bed, said…
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