Lawsuit: Inmate with diabetes wasn’t given insulin for 4 days in Berkeley Co. jail

BERKELEY COUNTY, SC (WCSC) - A lawsuit filed last Friday in Berkeley County states that an inmate awaiting trial wasn’t given insulin for four days and had to go to the hospital in order to recover.

The suit names the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Duane Lewis as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, Melissa Morris claims she had to be taken to the hospital four times on May 7, 2017, October 26, 2018, October 31, 2018, and November 7, 2018, because the jail failed to provide proper medical care.

The suit only goes into detail about one alleged incident that led to the hospitalization on May 7, 2017. The suit states Morris was booked into the jail on May 3, 2017, and that jail officials were made aware during the initial intake that Morris suffered from chronic diabetes that required insulin.

Morris wasn’t given insulin for the next four days and had to be hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis which develops when the body can’t produce enough insulin, the suit stated.

“The defendants’ repeated failure to provide such treatment, despite clear notice of her condition, recklessly endangered Melissa Morris’ life and constitutes a deliberate indifferent to her constitutional rights," Morris’ attorney Samuel Clawson said. “The defendants’ repeated failure to provide such treatment, despite clear notice of her condition, recklessly endangered Melissa Morris’ life and constitutes a deliberate indifferent to her constitutional rights.”

The lawsuit also references several other former and pending lawsuits involving medical treatment of inmates in Berkeley County.

Morris is seeking monetary and actual damages during a jury trial.

A spokesperson from Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said the county, as well as the sheriff’s office, does not comment on pending litigation.

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