Greater than six years after the March 2016 ordeal, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously final week to pay $480,000 to settle a civil lawsuit over the delayed care. The go well with, filed in federal courtroom, alleged denial of medical care and negligent remedy.
The Starbucks journey, it stated, amounted to “a blatant exhibiting of indifference for Quinones and Child Quinones.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Workplace didn’t return an e mail in search of touch upon Monday. A lawyer who represented the county within the case, Zachary Schwartz, additionally didn’t reply to an inquiry from The Washington Submit.
Richard Herman, Quinones’s legal professional, told the Los Angeles Times that his shopper has struggled with homelessness and psychological well being points since shedding her child.
However, he stated, “she understands that she was wronged.”
When her water broke on March 29, 2016, Quinones was six months pregnant. The 28-year-old lady was partway via a 70-day jail sentence after being arrested for possession of a managed substance and possession of a managed substance for gross sales, the New York Times reported.
She instructed jail officers of her being pregnant when she was taken into custody, in line with the criticism filed in courtroom. However when she pushed the decision button in her cell on that March day, saying she was having contractions and asking to be taken to the hospital, jail workers ignored her requests for assist.
“Over two hours handed earlier than anybody evaluated Quinones,” the criticism stated.
Court docket data don’t say how lengthy the Starbucks journey lasted, however notice that the jail workers determined to make the cease fairly than taking Quinones on to the hospital. It was not clear whether or not any workers had been disciplined or how she misplaced the being pregnant. The lawsuit argued that Orange County doesn’t correctly prepare jail workers in dealing with feminine reproductive well being points or understanding when a hospital go to is important.
Quinones initially filed the go well with in April 2020. A district choose dismissed it after the county argued the statute of limitations had handed, however an appeals courtroom reversed that call a yr later.
“She doggedly pursued this case, together with all of its ups and downs,” Herman instructed the Los Angeles Occasions. “This was a protracted, exhausting battle.”
The lawsuit stated Quinones has suffered post-traumatic stress dysfunction and melancholy stemming from the incident. She has been homeless and out and in of county custody, and struggles with substance abuse. For years, she couldn’t course of what occurred, saying, “I can’t discuss it,” the go well with stated.
“Ms. Quinones will always remember how she was handled that day, and no sum of money will ever make her entire,” Nicholas Kohan, one among Quinones’s attorneys, told NBC News. “Nonetheless, I’m happy with the outcome and that the county of Orange acknowledged its wrongdoing. Hopefully this may result in higher situations and remedy for pregnant ladies within the Orange County jail.”
