Dykes v. Naph Care Medical Billing

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJune 3, 2020
Docket3:20-cv-00312
StatusUnknown

This text of Dykes v. Naph Care Medical Billing (Dykes v. Naph Care Medical Billing) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dykes v. Naph Care Medical Billing, (D. Nev. 2020).

Opinion

3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

4 DISTRICT OF NEVADA

5 * * *

6 NICHOLAS DYKES, Case No. 3:20-cv-00312-MMD-WGC

7 Plaintiff, v. ORDER 8

9 NAPH CARE MEDICAL BILLING, et al., 10 Defendants. 11 12 Pro Se Plaintiff Nicholas Dykes, who is incarcerated in the custody of the Nevada 13 Department of Corrections (“NDOC”), has submitted a civil rights complaint pursuant to 14 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Complaint”) and has filed an application to proceed in forma pauperis. 15 (ECF Nos. 1, 1-1.) Based on the information regarding Plaintiff’s financial status, the Court 16 finds that Plaintiff is not able to pay an initial installment payment toward the full filing fee 17 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. Plaintiff will, however, be required to make monthly 18 payments toward the full $350.00 filing fee when he has funds available. The Court now 19 screens Plaintiff’s Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. 20 I. SCREENING STANDARD 21 Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which an 22 incarcerated person seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 23 governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any 24 cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim 25 upon which relief may be granted, or seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune 26 from such relief. See id. §§ 1915A(b)(1), (2). Pro se pleadings, however, must be liberally 27 construed. Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 1990). To state 28 a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must allege two essential elements: (1) the 2 the alleged violation was committed by a person acting under color of state law. See West 3 v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 4 In addition to the screening requirements under § 1915A, pursuant to the Prison 5 Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), a federal court must dismiss an incarcerated person’s 6 claim if “the allegation of poverty is untrue” or if the action “is frivolous or malicious, fails 7 to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a 8 defendant who is immune from such relief.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Dismissal of a 9 complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted is provided for in 10 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), and the court applies the same standard under 11 § 1915 when reviewing the adequacy of a complaint or an amended complaint. When a 12 court dismisses a complaint under § 1915(e), the plaintiff should be given leave to amend 13 the complaint with directions as to curing its deficiencies, unless it is clear from the face of 14 the complaint that the deficiencies could not be cured by amendment. See Cato v. United 15 States, 70 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir. 1995). 16 Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is essentially a ruling on a question of law. See 17 Chappel v. Lab. Corp. of Am., 232 F.3d 719, 723 (9th Cir. 2000). Dismissal for failure to 18 state a claim is proper only if it is clear that the plaintiff cannot prove any set of facts in 19 support of the claim that would entitle him or her to relief. See Morley v. Walker, 175 F.3d 20 756, 759 (9th Cir. 1999). In making this determination, the court takes as true all 21 allegations of material fact stated in the complaint, and the court construes them in the 22 light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Warshaw v. Xoma Corp., 74 F.3d 955, 957 (9th 23 Cir. 1996). Allegations of a pro se complainant are held to less stringent standards than 24 formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. See Hughes v. Rowe, 449 U.S. 5, 9 (1980). While 25 the standard under Rule 12(b)(6) does not require detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff 26 must provide more than mere labels and conclusions. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 27 544, 555 (2007). A formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action is insufficient. 28 Id. 2 that, because they are no more than mere conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption 3 of truth.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679 (2009). “While legal conclusions can provide 4 the framework of a complaint, they must be supported with factual allegations.” Id. “When 5 there are well-pleaded factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then 6 determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Id. “Determining 7 whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief . . . [is] a context-specific task that 8 requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense.” Id. 9 Finally, all or part of a complaint filed by an incarcerated person may therefore be 10 dismissed sua sponte if that person’s claims lack an arguable basis either in law or in fact. 11 This includes claims based on legal conclusions that are untenable (e.g., claims against 12 defendants who are immune from suit or claims of infringement of a legal interest which 13 clearly does not exist), as well as claims based on fanciful factual allegations (e.g., 14 fantastic or delusional scenarios). See Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 327-28 (1989); 15 see also McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 795, 798 (9th Cir. 1991). 16 II. SCREENING OF COMPLAINT 17 In the Complaint, Plaintiff sues multiple Defendants for events that took place while 18 he was in the custody of the Washoe County Jail. (ECF No. 1-1 at 1.) Plaintiff sues Naph 19 Care, Inc, Naph Care Medical Billing, Washoe County Staff, Washoe County Jail Med, 20 Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Health Inspector, and Washoe County 21 Health Department.1 (Id. at 1-3.) Plaintiff alleges three counts and seeks injunctive relief 22 and monetary relief. (Id. at 6, 9.) 23 A. Washoe County Jail Staff 24 A defendant is liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 “only upon a showing of personal 25 26 1The Defendants Plaintiff lists in the caption do not match the Defendants Plaintiff 27 wrote in the spaces provided in the form for plaintiffs to fill in the names of Defendants. (ECF No. 1-1 at 1-3.) If Plaintiff chooses to amend his complaint, the amended complaint 28 should not list Defendants in the caption that are not named as Defendants within the complaint form.

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Dykes v. Naph Care Medical Billing, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dykes-v-naph-care-medical-billing-nvd-2020.