A Young Life Lost on Rikers: A Tragic Case of Negligence and Medical Malpractice
The family of Ariel Quidone, a 20-year-old man who died from untreated appendicitis while in custody at Rikers Island, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. According to his family, Quidone was healthy when he was arrested on robbery charges just nine days before his tragic demise.
The medical neglect that led to Quidone's death raises questions about the competence of the jail staff and the healthcare system. Despite showing symptoms such as sweats, fevers, and vomiting, which are indicative of appendicitis, Quidone's condition went untreated for days while he was in custody.
"It's a simple case," says Marc Battipaglia, an attorney for the family. "Appendicitis is easily treatable if it's looked over properly." The lawsuit alleges that the city and its healthcare providers failed to provide Quidone with adequate medical care, leading to his death from septic shock after his appendix ruptured.
The incident highlights the poor conditions at Rikers Island, where inmates have been dying in custody due to neglect and inadequate medical attention. According to a recent report, at least 15 people died in the Department of Correction's custody last year, including Quidone, whose death occurred while he was receiving medical care after being released.
The case also raises concerns about the effectiveness of the city's healthcare system and its ability to provide quality care to inmates. The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, medical malpractice, and violations of Quidone's civil rights under the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
As the investigation into Quidone's death continues, it is essential to acknowledge that this tragedy could have been prevented with proper attention and care. The city must take responsibility for its failures and implement necessary reforms to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
The family of Ariel Quidone, a 20-year-old man who died from untreated appendicitis while in custody at Rikers Island, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. According to his family, Quidone was healthy when he was arrested on robbery charges just nine days before his tragic demise.
The medical neglect that led to Quidone's death raises questions about the competence of the jail staff and the healthcare system. Despite showing symptoms such as sweats, fevers, and vomiting, which are indicative of appendicitis, Quidone's condition went untreated for days while he was in custody.
"It's a simple case," says Marc Battipaglia, an attorney for the family. "Appendicitis is easily treatable if it's looked over properly." The lawsuit alleges that the city and its healthcare providers failed to provide Quidone with adequate medical care, leading to his death from septic shock after his appendix ruptured.
The incident highlights the poor conditions at Rikers Island, where inmates have been dying in custody due to neglect and inadequate medical attention. According to a recent report, at least 15 people died in the Department of Correction's custody last year, including Quidone, whose death occurred while he was receiving medical care after being released.
The case also raises concerns about the effectiveness of the city's healthcare system and its ability to provide quality care to inmates. The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, medical malpractice, and violations of Quidone's civil rights under the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
As the investigation into Quidone's death continues, it is essential to acknowledge that this tragedy could have been prevented with proper attention and care. The city must take responsibility for its failures and implement necessary reforms to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
my heart goes out to Ariel's family, it's just so avoidable... poor guy had symptoms that could've been treated easily but because of a system failure he lost his life 
rikers island is like a ticking time bomb and we need real change now not just words 
medical neglect is just insane, how can they miss appendicitis symptoms? and the fact that he was healthy before arrest makes it even more ridiculous. we need to hold those in charge accountable for this & make sure it doesn't happen again! 
71% of inmates experience mental health issues while incarcerated 
average time spent on waitlist for medical attention: 14 days 
deaths due to neglect or medical malpractice in NYC jails: 432 (2019-2020) 
Quidone's case highlights the need for improved healthcare systems & staff training 
medical negligence cases at Rikers Island: 1,244 reported between 2015 & 2022 
This is a disaster waiting to happen and it's happening every day at Rikers Island. Poor medical attention = death. Can't believe they let him suffer for days like this 
How many more innocent lives have to be lost before we take action? 
20 years old and his life is just cut short like what even is the point of having healthcare if it's not gonna work 
my heart goes out to Ariel's family and i hope they get the justice they deserve 
. as a student, i feel like we should be learning about the importance of proper healthcare in schools, not how to avoid things like this from happening in our community 
. anyway, let's hope they get justice and the city takes action to prevent something like this from happening again 
i'm literally shaking thinking about all those other ppl who've died at Rikers and no one ever holds them accountable 
this is just so sad
. It's not just about the healthcare system, it's about accountability and taking responsibility for these preventable deaths 
. I don't know how much more of this kind of stuff we're gonna have to deal with before someone actually does something about it. I'm all for accountability and reform, let's get that healthcare system fixed ASAP 
.
. Incompetence on both sides of the law is a recipe for disaster 
. How many more lives gotta be lost before we take action? 
I mean, I know our healthcare system can be flawed but this is just insane. We're literally paying tax dollars for people to die in custody due to incompetence 
. It's not like it was a complex case or anything, just basic appendicitis treatment... easy peasy 
. When will we get some real reform around here? 
. This should be a wake-up call for them, but I'm sure they'll just sweep it under the rug again 
.
This latest case at Rikers Island just breaks my heart. A young life lost, senseless and avoidable. I remember when I was younger and had to visit some friends in jail - it was a scary place back then. Now with all these stories coming out about poor medical care... 