LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada taxpayers are now on the hook for another large settlement tied to the state's prison system — this time, $250,000 to a man who developed stage 4 colon cancer after the Nevada Department of Corrections allegedly ignored his medical needs.
Alfred Lajes filed a pre-litigation, administrative claim against the Nevada Department of Corrections last August, claiming the agency deliberately ignored his medical needs. In May 2021, while incarcerated, Lajes reported having blood in his stools. A doctor determined he needed to see a gastroenterologist, but that appointment took 10 months to occur. When the specialist recommended a colonoscopy, that procedure never happened while Lajes was in prison.
After his release in July 2022, Lajes finally received the screening. The results revealed stage 4 colon cancer.
Rather than face a lawsuit, the state agreed to a $250,000 settlement. The Board of Examiners — comprised of Gov. Joe Lombardo, Attorney General Aaron Ford, and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar — approved the settlement this week.
When I first dug into this back in March, I found that the biggest reason for these payouts is pretty straightforward: inmates aren't getting the medical care they need, when they need it. This case is a perfect example of that.
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This is not the first time the Nevada Department of Corrections has faced this type of lawsuit. Earlier this year, 13 Investigates reported on another inmate who received a nearly $600,000 settlement after his colonoscopy was ordered, then canceled, and replaced with basic stool tests. Eight months later, that man collapsed during firefighter training and was taken to Summerlin Hospital, where he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.
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With this week's payout, Nevada taxpayers have now paid close to $12 million to settle inmate lawsuits in just the last four years. Gov. Lombardo has already directed the Nevada Department of Corrections to be more proactive with medical care to prevent serious injuries — and the costly lawsuits that follow.
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