If I asked for medical attention while arrested, shouldn’t I have received it?
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If I asked for medical attention while arrested, shouldn’t I have received it?
My wife accidentally swiped the pant leg of an officer, with her car. After she arrived home, the police showed up. I went outside to speak with the officers. I told them to explain what was going on. I heard one officer say something about arresting me and I put my hands behind my back. Then 5 officers attacked me and slammed my head into their car and handcuffed me. I had surgery just a few days prior on my hip. I told them they were hurting me and they said they didn’t care. Then after being taken to jail, I asked for medical attention and they never provided me with any medical attention.
Asked on September 5, 2010 under Personal Injury, Missouri
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
You need to speak with a personal injury attorney, who can evaluate all the facts and details for you. The short answer is, IF you suffered harm due to a lack of medical attention and it would have been reasonable to have provided it, then you may have a lawsuit. If you did not suffer harm, you effectively have nothing to sue over, though you could certainly try to raise a complaint in some fashion (ask yoiu lawyer how best to do this); or even if you did suffer some harm, if under the circumstances it did not appear to be urgent (e.g. it was not credible that you needed it immediately), then there also might not be liability.
More to the point, if you were slammed headfirst into a car by 5 officers, you may have been the victim of excessive force or brutality, and that's something else to discuss with your attorney. Good luck.
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