An inmate at the Logan County jail sued the county in federal court after he was given rusty pliers to have other inmates try to extract an abscessed tooth, which led to further infection and the breaking of another tooth.
Mark Traxler sued Sheriff Brett Powell, nurse Casey Williams, Deputy Sheriff Max Arilliana and Health Care Partners Systems. Traxler, whose lawsuit was filed Tuesday by attorney David Lane, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
On March 1, 2013, Traxler “begged” for dental and medical care after the tooth became infected, but the medical and sheriff’s department staff at the jail denied him access to a dentist, Lane said in a statement.
“The pain was almost unbearable by March 18 when a deputy and jail nurse gave Mr. Traxler a pair of rusty pliers and roll of gauze and told him to have some of the ‘fellas’ in the back give him a hand and pull the tooth,” Lane said.
Four inmates held him down while a fifth pulled on the tooth.
“What could possibly go wrong with this plan?” Lane said. “Unfortunately, efforts to extract the tooth merely broke the tooth off and the force being applied caused the pliers to break off a second tooth.”
Three abscesses followed, and finally, on April 30, 2013, a dentist performed two extractions.
