Eden, et al. v. Bradley County, Tennessee, et al.

A class action lawsuit is currently pending in the United States District Court for Eastern District of Tennessee. If the proposed Settlement receives final court approval, the Court will certify the case as a class action, and APPROVED CLAIMANTS who have submitted timely, valid, approved claims will receive money.

If you were incarcerated at the Bradley County Jail (the “Jail”) from September 18, 2017, through November 29, 2023 (the date the Preliminary Approval Order was entered) and it is determined that you meet the following criteria, YOU MAY BE A MEMBER OF THE DAMAGES CLASS and eligible for compensation:

• You were a Jail inmate (i.e., were under arrest and had been transported or were being transported to the Jail in the custody of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office (“BCSO”)); 

• During your period of confinement at the Jail, you suffered from an obvious or diagnosed medical condition (subject to certain exceptions discussed below) and either 

• • • received no medical care for that condition, or

• • • despite any medical attention you received, suffered a worsening of said condition, and/or 

• • • experienced unnecessary pain, suffering, or discomfort.

Eligibility for Class Membership is described below. Review this information and, if you need assistance, CONTACT THE SETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATOR OR CLASS COUNSEL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR FREE HELP IN COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING YOUR CLAIM FORMS.  Time is of the essence and claims that are filed too late will not receive compensation even if otherwise eligible.

IF, DURING THE CLASS PERIOD, YOU RECEIVED NO MEDICAL CARE OR DEFICIENT MEDICAL CARE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE (1) IN MORE THAN ONE PERIOD OF CONFINEMENT AT THE JAIL DURING OR (2) FOR MULTIPLE CONDITIONS DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF CONFINEMENT, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION FOR EACH SUCH EVENT IF YOU SUBMIT A TIMELY VALID CLAIM FORM FOR EACH SUCH EVENT.

This matter arises from a proposed class action lawsuit filed on September 18, 2018.  The plaintiffs in that lawsuit have alleged that Bradley County, Tennessee and/or the BCSO, in conjunction with private companies providing medical care at the Jail pursuant to contracts (“Contract Medical Service Providers” or “CMSPs”), have maintained a system of medical care for inmates at the Jail that fails to meet the minimum requirements for such care under the United States Constitution, specifically the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.  The plaintiffs further allege that this system of deficient care has exposed every inmate confined at the Jail to substantial risks of serious harm and, in many cases, has caused serious harm to inmates.  Bradley County, the BCSO, and the CMSPs dispute those claims and deny any wrongdoing.  To resolve this matter, plaintiffs and Bradley County have entered into a preliminary Settlement that does not contain any finding of wrongdoing by Bradley County but does (1) provide for possible payment to DAMAGES CLASS MEMBERS, and (2) requires that Bradley County take certain steps to improve the quality of medical care at the Jail.

To be eligible to receive any money in this Settlement, you must fill out a Claim Form and submit it online or mail it for each instance of deficient care you seek compensation for, and the Claim Form must be approved in accordance with the Settlement procedure.  You must (1) submit the completed Claim Form(s) on the Settlement Administrator’s website NO LATER THAN 11:59 p.m. on March 8, 2024 or (2) mail the completed Claim Form(s) to the Settlement Administrator at Eden v. Bradley County; Settlement Services, Inc., P.O. Box 10269, Tallahassee, FL 32302-2269 postmarked NO LATER THAN March 8, 2024 in order to be eligible to receive money from the class fund.  If your Claim Form(s) is (are) not submitted or mailed by these deadlines, you will not be considered a member of the class even if you wish to be, but you will be bound by the settlement and will not receive any money.