Sauder Schelkopf is investigating potential class action lawsuits on behalf of incarcerated individuals suffering from untreated Hepatitis C. At least 144,000 known cases of Hepatitis C are left untreated in the nation’s prisons due to the high cost of treatment which can be between $40,000 and $90,000 per patient.
Hepatitis C is a treatable disease but can be fatal if left untreated. It is highly contagious. Hepatitis C is found in large concentrations in prisons because it is transmitted by sharing needles and at least 1/6 of prisoners are serving time for drug-related offenses.
Despite drug companies offering some state prisons significant discounts (up to 50% per treatment) and the fact that prisoners have a constitutional right to be treated, there seems to be no solution to this growing problem.
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has litigated Hepatitis C cases in Washington and Denver. In Washington, an emergency room nurse allegedly infected with Hepatitis C was injecting herself with a partial dose of narcotics intended for her patients and then injecting the remaining dose with the same needle into her patients. Read about it here. In Denver, a surgical technician exposed nearly 3,000 patients to HIV. Read about it in the Denver Post. We are also currently litigating a case against Walgreens and Theranos in Arizona related to misrepresentations made concerning its “disruptive” blood testing. Read about it in USA Today. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $2 million for pre-trial detainees in two civil rights class actions.
We Want to Hear from You
If you or a loved one suffered from untreated Hepatitis C while incarcerated, contact the lawyers at Sauder Schelkopf by filling out the form on this page.