A man who lost his arms and suffered a stroke after medical care was withheld while he was an inmate at the Scott County jail will receive $12.2 million in a settlement that his attorneys said is the largest in state history for someone sustaining jail-related injuries.
"I'd rather have my hands than anything," Terrance Dwayne Winborn said in a video clip about his daily life shown at a news conference Wednesday while flanked by his attorneys. "[My condition] makes me feel helpless sometimes, but I keep on pushing."
Winborn, of Marshall, Minn., suffered "severe and permanent injuries" and nearly died due to a bacterial infection he sustained while in the Scott County jail for about 40 hours.
The lawsuit alleges that Scott County jail employees — including a registered nurse on duty — acted with "deliberate indifference" when they failed to get him appropriate and timely medical care. In doing so, his constitutional rights were violated, they said.
Scott County also failed to report the case to the Minnesota Department of Corrections within 10 days as required by law, his attorneys said.
The Scott County Board voted unanimously to approve the settlement at its Tuesday meeting. It's not final until approved by the judge, said Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar .
"The board has determined that the settlement is in the best interests of the county to avoid the risks of a trial and uncertainty of a jury verdict," Hocevar said at the meeting.
Hocevar had no additional comment.