Nearly $4M Settlement Reached In Adams County Jail Death

By Brian Maass

BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - A medical provider to jails and prisons has agreed to pay $3.7 million to the family of a man who died while in custody at the Adams County Jail in 2015. Adams County itself has agreed to pay $200,000 to the family of Tyler Tabor, bringing the total settlement amount to $3.9 million.

The settlement agreement in the federal lawsuit was only made public this week, according to documents reviewed by CBS4.

Reached by phone Tuesday morning, David Lane, the attorney for the Tabor family, said he could not comment pursuant to terms of the settlement agreement.

Tabor was booked into the Adams County Jail on two misdemeanor warrants on May 14, 2015. He told medical personnel he was addicted to opiates. The lawsuit said his withdrawal symptoms began immediately and that his life could have been saved if authorities had administered an IV.

A deputy later found the 25-year-old man lying the floor of his cell after Tabor had vomited. He was pronounced dead May 17. The lawsuit claimed Tabor's death was preventable and claimed employees of medical provider Corizon Health were deliberately indifferent and stood by while Tabor's condition worsened.

According to newly unsealed court documents, Corizon and the Tabor family reached an agreement to settle the case in June, with the medical provider paying $3.7 million and Adams County chipping in another $200,000.

The agreement contains a "non-disparagement and confidentiality" clause calling for the Tabor family and their attorneys to not disparage Corizon in any public statements or on social media. Additionally, the families' attorneys agreed not to hold a press conference or "media blitz in any form" although the agreement says that has been their past practice. The written agreements say that attorneys fees and costs in the case amount to $1,645,021.63.

Court documents say Corizon has so far paid $1 million but says it has a "cash flow" problem and will need to pay the balance in installments by next February.

Attorneys for the Tabor family wrote that they are "fearful that Corizon may be on the verge of bankruptcy given their inability to pay."

Tabor was married and had a 6-year-old son.

CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.