Becker v. Carbon County

177 F. Supp. 3d 841, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47562, 2016 WL 1393396
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 8, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 3:15-CV-929
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 177 F. Supp. 3d 841 (Becker v. Carbon County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Becker v. Carbon County, 177 F. Supp. 3d 841, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47562, 2016 WL 1393396 (M.D. Pa. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

A. Richard Caputo, United States District Judge

Presently before me are Defendant Carbon County, Frank Shubeck, Jane Doe # 1, Roberta Metz, Eric Flexer, ■ Shirley Kirchdoerfer, Emily Moyer, Correctional Officer (“C.O.”) Betchel, Christian Castro, Lawrence Moyer, George Hunsicker, and Jacqueline Shubeck’s (collectively “Carbon County Defendants” where appropriate) Partial Motion to Dismiss (Doc.- 7) and Defendant Cheryl Ayres1 (“Ayres”) Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 15) Plaintiffs Complaint, as amended.2 (Doc. 1) Plaintiff, as administrator of the estate of the decedent, Lee M. Flannery (“Mr. Flannery”), brings this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Pennsylvania law. (Doc.l) Plaintiff alleges that while the decedent was incarcerated at Carbon County Correctional Facility, the defendants violated the decedent’s Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights and did so in a manner demonstrating a reckless and wanton disregard for the rights of the decedent. (Counts I and II) Plaintiff also alleges that the defendants acted in a negligent manner resulting in the death of Mr. Flannery (Count III), and that all defendants are liable under Pennsylvania law survival [843]*843(Count IV) and wrongful death (Count V) claims pursuant to the Pennsylvania- Survival Act, 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 8301 et. seq. Plaintiff seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. The Carbon County Defendants seek dismissal of Plaintiffs Pennsylvania state law negligence and wrongful death claims against them. Ayres also seeks dismissal of Plaintiffs Section 1983 wrongful death claim against her. The parties have agreed that certain claims should be dismissed as discussed below and therefore, I will grant Defendants’ respective motions in part. However, I will deny, in part, the Carbon County Defendants’ partial motion for summary judgment because Plaintiffs wrongful death claims cannot be said to be foreclosed as a matter of law.

I. Background

A. Factual and Procedural Background

The following factual background is taken from the Complaint. (Doc. 1.) The Complaint states an extensive factual background, but for the limited purpose of the current memorandum, I will only set forth those facts relevant to the current pending motions.

On May 14, 2013, Lee M. Flannery was a passenger in a vehicle subjected to a traffic stop. (Complaint, Doc. 1 “Compl.”, ¶ 24.) At the time of the stop, there was an active warrant for Mr. Flannery stemming from a prior conviction. (Compl., ¶ 25.) The Pennsylvania State Police (“PSP”) took Mr. Flannery into custody and transported him to the PSP barracks at Fern Ridge. (Id.) On May 15, 2013, a search warrant was executed at the home where Mr. Flan-nery was staying and, as a result, Mr. Flannrey was charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession of heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia. (Id. at ¶¶ 26-28.) Mr. Flannery was then transported from Monroe County Prison to Carbon County Correctional Facility (“CCCF”). (Id. at ¶ 29.)

At the timé Mr. Flannery was booked at CCCF, CCCF was aware of the drug charges filed against him. (Id. at ¶30.) From the time Mr. Flannery was lodged at CCCF, the prison officials were aware that Mr. Flannery suffered from opiate addiction. (Id. at ¶ 35.) Mr. Flannery was withdrawing from heroin at the time he was booked and was “dope sick.” (Id. at ¶ 30.) At approximately 8:15 p.m on May 15, 2013, Mr. Flannery was screened and assessed by Sergeant Ryan Long who noted that Mr. Flannery had admitted drug use and that Mr. Flannery was “crying” and “rambling.” (Id. at ¶¶ 32-34.) Long deemed Mr. Flannery' a suicide risk and he was placed on suicide watch. (Id. at ¶ 34; ¶ 81.) Mr. Flannery was placed in a cell at “booking”; “booking” consists of a limited amount of jail cells wherein inmates can be easily observed. (Id. at ¶ 80.) While on suicide watch, Mr. Flannery was apparently observed by officers every fifteen (15) minutes. (Id. at'U81.) Immediately upon incarceration, Mr. Flannery began vomiting. (Id. at ¶ 35.)

On May 16, 2013, Mr. Flannery was seen by a nurse, Jane Doe # 1, who noted that she was “made aware by booking [correctional officer] that inmate Flannery had vomited several times,” and wrote that Mr. Flannery stated he was not honest during his initial medical exam, that he was “withdrawing from Percocet”, and noted that an “opiate withdrawal program had begun.” (Id. at ¶¶ 60-61.) However, no records indicate exactly when the protocol was provided to Mr. Flannery. (Id. at ¶ 38.) Jane Doe # 1 also recorded that Mr. Flannery was given “Elimite Lotion” for scabies per a doctor’s orders but no CCCF records document that Mr. Flannery was seen by a doctor at any time. (Id. at ¶ 62.) The May 16, 2013 records also indicate [844]*844that Mr. Flannery was “nervous”, “rambling”, and had tachycardia which demonstrated that he was experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms. (Id. at ¶ 37.) On the morning of May 17, 2013, Mr. Flannery was seen by Cheryl Ayres, a physicians assistant, and he disclosed his use of Per-cocet to her. (Id at ¶¶ 56-57.)

At the time Mr. Flannery was incarcerated at CCCF, he was in good physical health other than suffering from heroin and/or opiate addiction and scabies. (Id. at ¶ 51.) However, while at CCCF, Mr. Flan-nery became symptomatic of heroin withdrawal with the following symptoms among others: profuse vomiting, tremors, chills, shakes, weakness, lethargy, freezing sensation, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and loss of appetite. (Id at ¶ 55.) It was reported to the coroner by correctional officers and medical personnel that, while incarcerated, Mr Flannery was vomiting at least twice per hour and he could not tolerate food or liquids, was ill to the point of losing consciousness and was unable to walk without aid. (Id. at ¶ 49; ¶ 53.) Mr. Flannery informed correctional officers that he was ill and the symptoms he was experiencing were listed in their incident reports. (Id at ¶ 54.)

Mr. Flannery’s physical condition deteriorated between May 16, 2013 through May 19,2013 as the effects of fluid loss and lack of nutrition became acute. (Id at ¶¶ 69-70.) However, the CCCF records do not indicate that Mr. Flannery was ever seen by a doctor and did not see any medical personnel between May 17, 2013 and May 19, 2013. (Id. at ¶ 54; ¶ 122.) Mr. Flannery was pronounced dead on May 19, 2013 at 6:45 am. (Id at ¶ 120.) He was 26 years old. (Id at ¶ 148.)

Lawrence F. Becker, III, in his capacity as administrator of the estate of Lee M. Flannery, commenced this action by filing a complaint on May 12, 2015. (Doc. 1) The Complaint alleges that the Defendants were aware of, and were deliberately indifferent to, Mr. Flannery’s medical condition between May 15, 2013 and May 19, 2013 in violation of his Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment Rights (Counts I and II), causing Mr. Flannery to suffer hours of unnecessary and excruciating suffering and agony, worsened his condition, and ultimately caused his death. (Id at ¶¶ 136-143; ¶ 131; ¶ 134.) Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants’ conduct was outrageous, wanton, and malicious and in reckless disregard of Mr. Flannery’s rights. (Id

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177 F. Supp. 3d 841, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47562, 2016 WL 1393396, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/becker-v-carbon-county-pamd-2016.