MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the McHenry County Sheriff’s office and a 3rd party medical provider following the death of a 56-year-old Marengo man.
Donald Hamer was taken to the jail on misdemeanor DUI charges after crashing his car into a ditch in September of 2022.
According to the lawsuit, he was described as “unsure of his surroundings and was disoriented and confused.”
At the jail, Hamer had admitted he drank daily and was treated by the jail medical provider, Wellpath, for alcohol withdrawal. While locked up for five days, the lawsuit states his health declined to the point he could barely function.
Eventually he was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Had he been properly evaluated, the staff would have known Hamer “was experiencing liver failure related to his ongoing cirrhosis," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit further states that he experienced a “slow and painful decline.” The cause of death was found to be end-stage liver disease due to cirrhosis and it was ruled natural causes.
Troy Owens, chief of litigation in the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, is representing the sheriff’s office and the county in the civil lawsuit.
He told the Northwest Herald that he had not yet filed a response to the lawsuit and is awaiting an indemnification statement from Wellpath releasing the county and sheriff’s office from any liability in Hamer’s death.
Hamer’s family, in a statement released through their lawyer, described him as a “loving and devoted father” to his sons and passionate about his career in the tooling industry for almost 30 years, the Northwest Herald reports.
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