CHARLESTON –A lawsuit was filed against West Virginia Regional Jail & Correctional Facility Authority by Cabell Huntington Hospital for its failure to pay a hospital bill for an inmate.
Arthur L. Edens was hospitalized at Cabell from Jan. 28, 2016, until Feb. 15, 2016 , according to a complaint filed April 9 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Edens was arrested the previous day and then sustained injuries at the South Central Regional Jail on Jan. 28, 2016, and was transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital.
The prisoner’s medical bills amounted to nearly $170,000, according to the suit.
The hospital is seeking payment of the medical bills. It is being represented by Ralph J. Hagy, Daniel T. Yon and Melissa Eakle Leasure of Bailes, Craig & Yon.
Kanawha County Commission was initially named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Commission President Kent Carper said the hospital agreed to dismiss them as a defendant on April 16.
Carper said it is his job to stand up for the tax payers of Kanawha County and that the county is not responsible for medical bills of inmates in the custody of the jail authority.
“This lawsuit was filed without notice or prior attempt to contact the county, and the result was a needless claim filed against the taxpayers,” Carper said. “I’m glad it was withdrawn quickly.”
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Joanna I. Tabit.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 18-C-486