Family of Andrew Leighton Files Lawsuit Against Wellpath for His Death at the Maine State Prison

The family of the late Andrew Leighton has filed a lawsuit against Wellpath, LLC for providing substandard care that resulted in his death. The family is represented by Berman & Simmons attorneys Susan Faunce and Christopher Boots.

Wellpath, the nation’s largest for-profit provider of health care to correctional facilities, contracts with the Maine Department of Corrections to provide medical services to inmates at the Maine State Prison.

The lawsuit chronicles repeated pleas for help by Andrew to treat an oral infection that turned fatal. The lawsuit claims that Wellpath failed to diagnose and monitor Andrew’s life-threatening condition and outlines systemic failures such as, minimal training of nurses, understaffing, and lack of communication amongst nursing staff and doctors which led to Andrew’s death.

“This tragedy never should have happened,” said Berman & Simmons attorney Susan Faunce.  “Andrew Leighton received a death sentence. Through this lawsuit Andrew’s family hopes to highlight the dangers of the prison healthcare system and as such, keep other inmates safe from harm.”

Note: See related article by Portland Press Herald news columnist Bill Nemitz.