$4.2 Million Settlement against Corrections Department
Atkins & Walker Law obtained the largest settlement in 2024 against the New Mexico Corrections Department for a young father who was injured by correctional staff and then neglected despite suffering a medical emergency. Despite representations by the New Mexico Corrections Department, correctional staff slammed our client’s head on the ground causing a skill fracture and brain bleed. Subsequently, correctional staff delayed in sending him to the hospital even though he was clearly deteriorating. The spokesperson for the Corrections Department stated to the news that the original injuries that our client suffered were from an inmate attack. She left out that a correctional officer came into the room, pinned our client to the floor, and hit his head on the floor twice. The Corrections Department also stated that correctional staff did not recognize the medical emergency because our client allegedly walked away from the incident. What the Corrections Department did not say is that correctional staff watched our client deteriorate shortly after they handcuffed him and escorted him out of the room - such as losing the ability to stand or sit, requiring a wheelchair, and vomiting - and did nothing.
Atkins & Walker is proud to have represented this young father in his fight for justice and hopes the Corrections Department learns from their mistakes. Based on the reporting by the Santa Fe New Mexican (linked below), that does not appear to be the case.