Police officers have an affirmative duty to provide medical care to people they restrain, detain, or injure. When officers ignore medical distress, delay emergency care, or interfere with treatment, the result is often catastrophic injury or death.
Collins & Collins, P.C. represents individuals and families in the most serious failure-to-provide-medical-care cases. We only accept cases involving catastrophic physical harm or death.
What Failure to Provide Medical Care Means
Failure to provide medical care includes ignoring obvious medical symptoms, failing to summon emergency assistance, delaying hospital transport, discouraging aid, or dismissing medical complaints after force or restraint.
These cases frequently arise after excessive force incidents, including taser use, restraints, or physical force. When medical care is delayed or denied, survivable conditions can become fatal.
If your case also involves police force, you may want to review our page on Excessive Force.
Excessive Force Resulting in Catastrophic Injury or Death
Our Intake Limitations
Unfortunately, we cannot accept cases based solely on emotional or psychological injuries. Our practice is limited to cases involving catastrophic physical injury, permanent impairment, or death.
Why These Cases Matter
Failure to provide medical care is among the most serious civil rights violations because it reflects a conscious disregard for human life. These cases often expose systemic problems, including inadequate training, understaffing, and a culture that minimizes medical emergencies.
Under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, the New Mexico Tort Claims Act, and federal civil rights law, officers and government entities can be held accountable when medical neglect leads to catastrophic harm or death.
Our Approach
We focus on cases involving:
• Clear medical distress ignored or mishandled by police
• Severe physical injury or death
• Strong medical and factual evidence
• Institutional responsibility and preventable outcomes
If a police encounter resulted in catastrophic injury or death due to delayed or denied medical care, contact us to determine whether the case meets our criteria.