Chatman v. Correct Health Solutions

District Court, E.D. Louisiana·Decided November 14, 2024·No. 2:24-cv-01944·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA

DENNIS DONNELL CHATMAN CIVIL ACTION

VERSUS NO. 24-1944

CORRECTHEALTH ST. TAMMANY, SECTION: “J”(5) L.L.C., ET AL.

PARTIAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to FRCP 12(b)(6) for Failure to State a Claim (rec. doc. 10) filed by Sheriff Randy Smith (“Smith”) and Warden Daniel Fleischman (“Fleischman”) (collectively, “Defendants”), each in their individual and official capacities. Plaintiff Dennis Donnell Chatman has filed no opposition to the motion. Having rI.e vieweBda cthkeg rmooutniodn and the case law, the Court rules as follows.

pro se On August 5, 2024, Plaintiff Dennis Donnell Chatman filed this lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against multiple Defendants, two of whom are Smith, Sheriff of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana; and Fleischman, Warden of St. Tammany Parish Jail. In the lawsuit, Plaintiff alleges that he received inadequate medical care at St. Tammany Parish Jail for injuries he suffered from a slip and fall that occurred in the jail. (Rec. doc. 1 at 4). Specifically, he alleges, in relevant part: After Plaintiff fell, he laid on the ground due to the excruciating pain until medical staff brought him a wheelchair and wheeled him to medical. At this point he was seen by Unknown Female Nurse, who was very irate with Plaintiff, and refused to follow protocol for broken bones and she exclaimed to him that there was no possibility that he had sustained damage to his skeletal system. She proceeded to give Plaintiff Tylenol . . . March 28, 2024, x- rays were performed on Plaintiff, which revealed his fractured collarbone on the right side. In May of 2024, Plaintiff had an unrelated appointment in complained about the excruciating pain emanating from his untreated broken collarbone. Dr. Gore responded to the Plaintiff by informing him that his collarbone was “no longer fractured” but he refused to let the Plaintiff see the x-ray photos, claiming that Plaintiff would have to pay ten dollars to see them. Plaintiff, however, is indigent. Dr. Gore proceeded to deny his request for an arm sling. Plaintiff deals with extreme chronic pain each day. His requests for medical assistance have been denied, and very little is being done to control the pain. Also, Plaintiff has previously been directed to physical therapy in his shoulder an unrelated injury, however jail staff will not allow him this treatment either. Warden Daniel Fleischman is culpable for deliberate indifference as he responded to Plaintiff’s grievance form with an unfounded finding and denying help. Sheriff Randy Smith is culpable for Id. the same reason.

( at 4-6). Attached to Plaintiff’s Complaint are St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Response to Inmate Grievance and Sheriff Review Decision, stating that Plaintiff was seen in medical on four separate occasions in connection with his fall. (Rec. doc. 1-1 at 4-5). During those visits to medical, Plaintiff received x-rays to the left wrist, right shoulder, Iadn.d. spine, revealing no fractures, and was treated with Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Mobic. ( ) Furthermore, Plaintiff is routinely examined pursuant to a chronic care plan which includes treatment related to complaints of shoulder pain resulting from a pre-in cIda.rc.eration rotator-cuff surgery that was not properly rehabilitated with physical therapy. ( ) Communications between Plaintiff and Smith include the Sheriff Review Decision of his grievance. (Rec. doc. 1-1 at 5). Plaintiff did not attach any grievance to or response IfrI.o m FlSetisacnhdmaarnd toon h Miso Ctoiomnp tloai Dnti.s m iss

Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allows a party to move for dismissal of a complaint for failure to state a claim upon whichS eree lLieofw craeny bve. Tgerxa.n Ate &d . M S uUcnhi va. motion is rarely granted because it is viewed with disfavor. Sys. Kaiser Aluminum & Chem. Sales, Inc. v. Avo,n d1a1l7e SFh.3ipdy a2r4d2s,, I2n4c7. (5th Cir. 1997) (quoting , 677 F.2d 1045, 1050 (5th Cir. 1982)). Under Rule 8(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a pleading must contain

aA s“hschroorftt av.n Idq bpalalin statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” , 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009) (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 8). “[T]he pleading standard Rule 8 announces does not require ‘detailed factual allegations,’ but itI dd.emands more tBhealnl Aatnl. Cuonrapd. ovr. nTewdo, mthbely-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” at 678 (citing , 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). In considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the Court “accept[s] alSle we eTlhl-opmlepasdoend v f.a Ccittsy aosf tWruaec oa,n Tde vxi.ew[s] all facts in the light most favorable to tDhoee p elaxi nrteilf.f .M” agee v. Covington Cnty. Sch. Dist. ex, r7e6l.4 K Fe.y3sd 500, 502 (5th Cir. 2014) (citing

, 675 F.3d 849, 854 (5th Cir. 2012) (en banc)). But, in deciding whether dismisIdsa. l is warranted, thIeq Cboaulrt will not accept conclusory allegations in the complaint as true. at 502-03 (citing , 556 U.S. at 678). To survive dismissal, “‘a complaint must contain sufficGioennzta flaeczt uv.a Kl amyatter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relieIfq tbhaalt is plausible on its face.’” , 577 F.3d 600, 603 (5th Cir. 2009) (quoting , 556 U.S. at 678) (internal quotation marks omitted). “Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level, on tThweo amssbulymption that all the allegations in the complaint are true (even if doubtful in fact).”

, 550 U.S. at 555 (citations and footnote omitted). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to Idqrbaawl the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” , 556 U.S. at 678 (“The plausibility standard is not akin to a ‘probability requirement,’ but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.”). This is a “context-specific task thatI dr.equires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense.” at 679. “Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely consistent with a

defendant's liability, iItd .stops short of the line between possibilityT wanodm bpllyausibility of entitlement to relief.” at 678 (internal quotations omitted) (citing , 550 U.S. at 557). “[A] plaintiff's obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitle[ment] to relief’”, thus, “requires more than labels andT cwonomclubslyions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” , 550 U.S. at 555 (alteration in original) (citation omitted). Finally, “[w]hen reviewing a motion to dismiss, a district court ‘must consider the complaint in its entirety, as well as other sources ordinarily examined when ruling on Rule

12(b)(6) motions to dismiss, in particular, documents incorporatFeudn ikn tvo. Stthrey kceorm Cpolrapi.nt by reference, and matters of which a court mTealyla tbask, eI njuc.d vic. iMala nkootri cIess.”u es & Rights, Ltd.

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