The case of a Vermont inmate who suffered several cardiac arrests and then died is now the subject of a lawsuit brought by his family.

David Bissonette was sent to the Northwest State Correctional Facility in November 2016 after being arrested on an outstanding warrant in connection with the theft of a laptop. According to court documents, he was also an intravenous drug user who struggled with sobriety. But Bissonette would never make it out of prison. Just weeks after he was put behind bars, he was rushed to the hospital where he later died.

Family members of Bissonnette filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the state of Vermont and Centurian, the private contractor that provides medical care in state prisons. The suit alleges Bissonnette was put in segregation for no reason, though the attorney representing the family says it was likely because he was suffering from withdrawal. It claims Bissonnette then went into septic shock due to endocarditis, a disease common with intravenous drug users.

"The real problem here was that if they had recognized that there were symptoms of a disease that was potentially fatal, the treatment would have been either antibiotics or surgical intervention and he would have had a very good chance of survival," said James Valente, an attorney for the family.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Mike Touchette declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The family is seeking "significant" damages but declined to offer an exact dollar amount. Bissonnette was 38 and had a young daughter.