A Philadelphia man sued a firm that owns a private prison on Jan. 14, alleging negligence after a fellow inmate beat him with a pipe.
Austin Walker filed the lawsuit against Community Education Centers, Inc., which owns Hoffman Hall in Philadelphia. Walker's suit alleged the company had a duty to protect him from other prisoners while he was incarcerated.
Walker alleged another prisoner attacked him at approximately 11 p.m. on March, 23, 2013 using a pipe and a small stabbing weapon. He said he was struck in the head, face and chest. The suit further alleged no precautions were taken at Hoffman Hall to prevent prisoners from obtaining materials that could be used as weapons.
Walker said he suffered multiple jaw fractures, facial paresthesia, infections and other injuries that required multiple surgeries.
He is asking for more than $50,000 in damages. He is represented by Joel J. Kofsky, of the Law Offices of Joel J. Kofsky.
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia County case number 2:15-cv-00159. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.