An Aliquippa man who said he suffered third-degree burns while working in the kitchen at the Allegheny County Jail is claiming in a lawsuit he was denied proper medical treatment for a week.
Jamie R. Turner Jr., 28, filed the lawsuit for negligence on Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.
It names as defendants the county and Warden Trevor Wingard.
A spokesman for the jail on Wednesday declined comment.
According to the complaint, Turner was held at the jail from Oct. 10 to March 12 on charges of simple assault and driving without a license.
He was assigned to work in the kitchen doing food preparation, including making noodles, though he said in the lawsuit he received no formal training.
On Feb. 3, the lawsuit continued, Turner was rotating a large kettle to drain noodles he was cooking, when the kettle tipped, sending hot water onto his legs, resulting in third-degree burns.
The lawsuit asserts that Turner did not get proper medical care for a week, exacerbating his injuries and pain.
After a week, it continued, Turner was taken to West Penn Hospital’s burn unit where he underwent extensive surgery for his burns, including skin grafts.
The lawsuit asserts that the improper maintenance of the kettles and lack of training for the people using them resulted in Turner’s injuries.