BENTONVILLE -- A malpractice lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the death of a man who was found unconscious in the Benton County Jail and later died at a hospital.
The lawsuit was filed in Benton County Circuit Court by attorneys representing Barbara Kelly, the administrator of Jared Parks' estate. Dr. Dennis E. Hughes is the only defendant named in the lawsuit.
Parks, 23, of Bentonville was found unconscious and discolored by jail staff just after 5 a.m. April 9, 2014, according to authorities. He was taken to Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville where he was placed on a ventilator. Parks died a few days later when his family chose to remove him from the ventilator.
Patricia Driscoll, a spokeswoman for Northwest Health System, said the hospital did not comment on pending litigation.
Hughes treated Parks on April 8, 2014, in the Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville emergency room according to the complaint.
Bentonville police brought Parks to the emergency room after jail staff refused to admit him unless he received medical clearance, according to the lawsuit. Police had arrested Parks for public intoxication.
Police instructed Parks to sit on the hospital floor because they feared he might fall in the waiting room, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims Parks' intoxication increased and he fell into a deep sleep and it was difficult to wake him up.
Hughes assessed Parks and told police he was going to check Parks' blood and urine. A police officer told Hughes about information that Parks had ingested 10 Klonopin pills and eight methadone pills, according to the complaint.
Hughes later reported that Parks' blood alcohol content was low. Officers explained they were concerned about the pills Parks had ingested, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims Hughes had difficulty waking up Parks before stating he would be fine and "that he just needed to sleep it off."
Hughes discharged Parks from the hospital without administering a drug test or attempting to diagnose or find an explanation for Parks' condition, the complaint states.
Parks was taken back to the jail and was admitted. He later was found unresponsive and readmitted to the hospital where he died days later from the effects of a drug overdose, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit claims Hughes' negligence resulted in Parks' death The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Xollie Duncan.
NW News on 07/09/2015