Pregnant Woman Sues Washington Co. Jail

Nicole Lane, a Canonsburg native, is suing the Washington County jail and its healthcare contractor claiming she was denied proper medical care when she was incarcerated while pregnant two years ago, and was later shackled to a hospital bed while going through labor. Attorneys for Nicole Lane filed the federal lawsuit in Pittsburgh on Wednesday accusing the Washington County Correctional Facility, healthcare provider PrimeCare and several jail workers and county sheriff’s deputies of alleged neglect that nearly caused her to lose the baby and her life. Lane is seeking damages for allegedly depriving her of her Eighth and 14th amendment rights, along with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pennsylvania’s Healthy Birth for Incarcerated Women Act and Pennsylvania tort law. According to the lawsuit, the state’s Healthy Birth for Incarcerated Women Act restricts the use of restraints on pregnant women and has been in effect since 2010, and it was expanded in 2023. Washington County solicitor Gary Sweat said Thursday that he was unaware of the lawsuit and could not comment. Representatives with Harrisburg-based PrimeCare Inc. could not be reached for comment Friday.