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Escambia County Considers $200,000 Settlement In Century Woman’s Jail Death
August 6, 2025
Escambia County will decide Thursday if it will approve a $200,000 settlement in the death of a Century woman with special needs who died in the county jail in 2021.
The medical malpractice lawsuit was filed against Escambia County, which operates the jail, and West Florida Hospital. West Florida Hospital has already reached a confidential settlement.
Alia Wardell’s mother, Melania Smith, filed the lawsuit in January 2024 on behalf of her deceased daughter for allegedly failing to provide the life-saving medications needed to control Wardell’s diabetes and other serious medical conditions.
“Defendant West Florida Hospital’s nurse knew she was discharging Ms. Wardell in an unsafe manner, charting that she knew this patient would not do well because she needed constant monitoring hemodynamically and can get worse quickly,” the lawsuit states. “The nurse heard the patient say: ‘I can’t go to jail; I’ll die there.’”
The suit states the hospital discharged Wardell “in an unsafe manner and failed to ensure that the receiving facility was aware of her health needs, medications, and doses, specifically the life-threatening danger to Ms. Wardell for failing to take Desmopressin.” It further claims the hospital did not ensure that the Escambia County Jail was aware of the medications she was taking and the danger if she did not receive them.
The lawsuit states that a county EMT at the jail assessed Wardell and charted that she “does not have nor has been treated for diabetes…(and) failed to discover Ms. Wardell had prescriptions for the life-saving medications Desmopressin and Hydrocortisone.”
After a confrontation with another inmate, Wardell was assessed by an LPN who stated that she “had no preexisting conditions and not currently on any medications,” according to the suit, which further alleges that the jail failed to provide the medications.
The lawsuit claims the jail and hospital caused Wardell “to suffer severe physical and mental injuries, and death, as a direct result of their deliberate indifference.”
Wardell’s Hospitalization and Arrest
Wardell was seen in the West Florida Hospital emergency room on November 16, 2021, after being discharged with an altered mental status, adrenal insufficiency, adrenal crisis and other complaints. While in the emergency room, she asked to go to the bathroom, and a nurse discovered about five minutes later that she had fallen asleep in the bathroom on the floor, the lawsuit states. While the nurse was waking her, she allegedly became combative and was admitted under the Baker Act. She was discharged into the custody of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies on November 22, 2021, and taken to the Escambia County Jail.
She was charged with a November 17, 2021, incident in which she allegedly attacked nurses at West Florida Hospital. She was charged with five felony counts of battery for assaulting staff at the emergency room.
On November 28, 2021, she was found cyanotic and unresponsive in her cell and was not breathing when she was transported by Escambia County EMS to Baptist Hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
The Proposed Settlement
Escambia County’s insurance carrier has recommended a settlement payout from insurance of $200,000 to settle all present and future claims and in exchange for a release and hold harmless agreement. The county has already paid a portion of the deductible and will be responsible for payment of the balance.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners will consider the settlement recommendation from the County Attorney’s Office. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at 221 Palafox Place, in Pensacola. The settlement is one of the final items on the agenda and is expected to be considered very near the end of the meeting.
Comments
14 Responses to “Escambia County Considers $200,000 Settlement In Century Woman’s Jail Death”
My parents were in a horrible car accident many years ago. It was a truck driver who hit them and almost killed my mom. Their lawyer told them from the beginning, not to take the first settlement offer. They will always try to low ball you, but they have a lot more that they can offer. So keep that in mind. I would deny it because the last thing that company/hospital want is for this to get out there all over the world when patients pull their care from their hospital.
Not all criminals wear hoodies and hide in the shadows. Some hide behind the badge of immunity or lobbied state protections.
It’s amazing how much wiggle room there is between a citizens liability and those that make up or enforce the laws, policies and rules.
This is so tragic. Sounds like a lot of blame to go around…everyone shares. Family, county, hospital, nurse, discharge planner at hospital. Money doesn’t right the wrong or bring this woman back. So, family gets undisclosed settlement from hospital and money from the county. I see protocol changes coming.
Who had possession of her discharge paperwork? Where were her medication reconciliation papers as they would have listed her medications, allergies, etc.
This is yet another example of our criminal justice system treating human beings like animals. I get jail is supposed to be a punishment. And it already is a punishment to be closed off from freedom.
The staff at jails aren’t there to take their own digs at inmates–whether on purpose (by turning a blind eye to inmate-on-inmate violence) or by neglect (like this nurse failing to perform due diligence to confirm the health of his inmate).
We are a nation of laws. The judge sentences people to probation and/or incarceration, but never have I heard a judge tell a convict “Oh, and…in addition to your 36-month sentence, followed by 5 years of probation, you’re also subject to verbal and physical abuse from guards if they feel like it; and prison staff are also welcome to withhold medical care or neglect your medical needs. Have fun being treated worse than a dog.”
Anyone who thinks that sort of behavior is ok needs to take a good long look at themselves in the mirror and think on what Jesus said about the imprisoned and how he treated prisoners.
Why were criminal charges not filed?
You can’t but a price on that young girls life . There is no amount of fake man made money that can replace her . They had to do with not taken care of her properly considering she had health and mental health issues going on . Prayers with the family and friends . That’s so sad .
This is such a sad story. Apparently, this person did not have the mental capacity to properly advocate for herself. When she became combatant with the hospital staff that changed everything. Nurses are not trained nor are they equipped to handle these types of situations. Did this young woman not have a guardian that could have stepped up as an advocate in her favor? If not, then why not? Yes, there were mistakes made and tragically a person died because of it. This should not have happened. My question is what can we as a society learn from this? As for the family members that are suing for money, where were you when this young lady needed you?
$200k is a slap in the face, more like 5 Million. I hope her family and their Attorney fights them tooth and nail.
I feel like my FAMILLY SHOULD BE AWARDED MORE YOU GUYS FAILED TO PROTECT LIKE ITS REQUIRED WITH YOUR JOB MY COUSIN TOLD YOU GUYS MY AUNT TOLD YOU GUYS FROM THE BEGINNING SHE WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE BAKERACTED BC SHE WASNT GETTING THE HELP SHE NEEDS AND MY AUNT TRIED TO TRUST YALL BUT AGAIN YALL FAILED TO PROTECT NOW WE HAVE TO LIVE WITHOUT MY COUSIN SAD THAT IS THE ONLY AMOUNT YOUR TRYING TO GIVE MY AUNT FOR THE LOSS OF MY COUSIN ITS HURTS BC THAT AMOUNT WILL NEVER BRING MY COUSIN BACK YOU GUYS
Bewildered:”how do you distinguish in a jail setting who will return to a normal state of mind after a few hours and who has underlying issues?”
Ummm, she was transferred FROM the hospital, who KNEW what conditions she had and what medications were needed. The problem here wasn’t about “returning to normal state of mind” or “underlying issues” it was because of LACK of medications she was supposed to be given FOR particular issues! Absolutely tragic and avoidable! And to low ball her family with a settlement like that is disgraceful!
Tragic indeed- it will set a precedent for law suits. our health care workers / first responders are now routinely attacked by violent patients – how do you distinguish in a jail setting who will return to a normal state of mind after a few hours and who has underlying issues?
200k???? Ridiculous, the amount is to low for a human life!!
Just awful. Horrific.