Recently, an Orange County inmate’s wrongful death lawsuit received approval for a $480,000 settlement.

The Case: Sandra Quinones v. County of Orange

The Court: United States District Court, Ninth Circuit, California

The Case No.: 20-56177

The Plaintiff: Sandra Quinones v. County of Orange

When the plaintiff in the case, Sandra Quinones, was an inmate of Orange County she was six months pregnant. She was in the midst of a 70-day sentence for violating probation in Central Jail in Orange County, California. In March 2016, her water broke. According to court documents, she allegedly pushed the call button in her cell for help repeatedly. Jail staff responded two hours later. According to Quinones, when staff responded, they transported her to the hospital on a “non-emergency” status and even stopped at Starbucks en route. When the transport arrived at the hospital, Quinones was admitted, and she gave birth, but the baby died. Quinones later filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

The Defendant: Sandra Quinones v. County of Orange

The defendant in the case, Orange County, faced allegations that their training policies to prepare staff to deal with the medical needs of inmates were not suitable and that Quinones’s experience resulted in “severe and extreme” post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Quinones has been homeless since the incident. The plaintiff claims her residential status and her inability to function and care for herself and her affairs since the incident resulted from a combination of mental impairments and the severe emotional harm she experienced.

Details of the Case: Sandra Quinones v. County of Orange

Orange County initially argued that Quinone’s federal lawsuit be thrown out based on the statute of limitations. In October 2020, the case was dismissed when a district judge agreed with the defendant, but an appeals court reversed that ruling in December, sending the case back to the lower level of the justice system. In August 2022, parties in the case received approval for a $480,000 settlement to resolve the matter.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.