Inmate lawsuit claims his hepatitis wasn’t properly treated

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - An inmate has sued the Virginia Department of Corrections claiming that it has failed to properly treat his hepatitis C.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Terry Riggleman filed the lawsuit with the help of legal advocacy groups on June 26 in state court. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C at Lawrenceville Correctional Center in 2005. Riggleman is serving a sentence for robbery.

He says that he has asked for treatment as more advanced hepatitis C drugs became available in recent years. But his lawsuit claims he has been given excuses repeatedly for why he couldn’t receive the treatment.

Riggleman is the only named plaintiff, but the lawsuit says many other inmates have hepatitis C.

A Department of Corrections spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, https://www.timesdispatch.com