The family of an 18-year-old woman who died while going through heroin withdrawal in Lebanon County Prison will be awarded $4.75 million after settling their civil and wrongful death lawsuits against Lebanon County this month, court documents show.
Victoria “Tori” Herr collapsed and died after suffering from withdrawal symptoms for four days while she was an inmate.
She was arrested in March of 2015 after police who were looking for her boyfriend found drugs in the apartment she shared with him.
Herr allegedly told the intake staff at the prison that she used 10 bags of heroin a day, and later told a cellmate she was afraid her withdrawal process would be difficult.
The lawsuit accused staffers at the prison of ignoring her medical needs for days, and then lying about it after she died.
Herr went through bouts of vomiting and diarrhea over four days. She was given Erasure, water and adult diapers, the lawsuit alleges. But Herr was unable to keep the fluids down and collapsed of an apparent case of dehydration while being brought back to her cell after a stay in the prison’s infirmary on March 31, the lawsuit says.
She died on April 5. Her death was ruled accidental by the Lebanon County Coroner’s Office. Cause of death was listed as complications of chronic substance abuse and anorexia.
Herr’s family sued the county in 2016.
She went through severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea over the next four days, and was given Ensure, water and adult diapers, according to the lawsuit. But she could not keep the fluids down, and collapsed of apparent dehydration as she was being brought back to her cell from the medical unit on March 31. She died in a hospital on April 5.
Settlement of the family’s lawsuit was finalized on October 5, court documents show. No Lebanon County employees acknowledged any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
