A female Coffee Creek inmate, aged 62, sued the state of Oregon and the physicians of the Oregon Department of Corrections for medical malpractice. She alleges that the medical staff at the women’s state prison failed to treat her kidney stone properly, which ultimately caused her to lose a kidney.
In the lawsuit filed in federal court, Linda Anne Bond claims both parties sued are guilty of “deliberately indifferent treatment of a prisoner” and negligence. According to Betty Bernt, a representative of the Oregon Department of Corrections, the department is unable to make any comments on the pending litigation.
On December 17, 2013, Bond was transferred to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility from the Douglas County Jail. In Douglas County, she had begun to feel a sharp pain in her abdomen. According to the suit, the medical staff of the Douglas County jail conducted X-ray images and detected a sizable kidney stone in one of her kidneys. Upon arriving at Coffee Creek, the inmate suffered from severe pain in her abdomen. She also had blood in her urine. Bond alleges that the medical staff provided no treatment besides pain medication.
In the lawsuit, Juan C. Chavez notes that the defendants made no effort to monitor the condition of her kidney or to treat her medical condition. The lawyer also states that the defendants irresponsibly ignored Bond’s pleas for adequate treatment.
Bond began to suffer severe pain that hindered her ability to walk. A correctional officer advocated for her to be examined by a nurse. Doctors found that Bond had developed a severe infection in her left kidney due to the kidney stone. Bond had developed an abscess in her left kidney because the stone blocked its function. She underwent surgery in December 2014 to have the left kidney removed.
In the lawsuit, bond claims that the medical staff of the Oregon Department of Corrections is inadequately trained to handle serious ailments. As of now, Bond remains in custody due to a conviction related to assault and the unlawful use of a weapon.
