HARRISON COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -
A lawsuit filed by Amy Cowling's mother and the biological
father on behalf of Cowling's three children, has been settled. A deal was struck late Tuesday in a Marshall district court, averting a federal trial. Terms of the settlement have not been released.
Cowling, 33, died in the Gregg County Jail on December 29, 2010.
Cowling
sought daily methadone treatment to control a painkiller addiction. She
continued in the methadone program until the time of her arrest on
December 24.
According to the suit, at the time of her
confinement, Cowling advised jail officials that she was dependent on
her physician prescribed medication, including but not limited to
methadone, without which, she would suffer from severe, painful, and
life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
The suit also claims that
at the time of Cowling's confinement and at all times thereafter, Gregg
County Jail officials and medical faculty were aware of her physical and
emotional addiction, and that failure to provide appropriate medical
treatment could result in Cowling's death.
Cowling had been placed on a medical watch while in custody. Jailers were to check on her condition every 15 to 30 minutes.
In
the weeks following her death, two jailers were arrested and charged
with tampering government documents, after authorities claimed jail
observation logs has been falsified.
Later, in an autopsy
released to KLTV through an "open records request," it is stated that
Cowling died from a probable seizure due to withdrawal from methadone
and alprazolam.
Read the details of the suit by clicking here.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2013 KLTV. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and KLTV, a Raycom Media Station.
