Lohnes v. Forgey

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedJune 29, 2022
Docket2:18-cv-00307
StatusUnknown

This text of Lohnes v. Forgey (Lohnes v. Forgey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lohnes v. Forgey, (N.D. Ind. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA HAMMOND DIVISION

JAMES ANDREW LOHNES,

Plaintiff,

v. No. 2:18 CV 307

DR. FORGEY, et al.,

Defendants.

OPINION and ORDER James Andrew Lohnes, a prisoner without a lawyer, is proceeding in this case on three claims. First, he is proceeding “against Dr. Forgey, Dr. Dennison, Nurse Practitioner Dave, Nurse Practitioner Sue, and [Eric Mance, M.A.], in their individual capacities for compensatory damages and in their official capacities for injunctive relief, for deliberate indifference to his shoulder pain from May 2018 until present, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment[.]” (DE # 4 at 7; DE # 184.) Second, he is proceeding “against Dr. Forgey, in his individual capacity for compensatory damages and his official capacity for injunctive relief, for retaliating against Lohnes by denying him treatment for his shoulder pain from May of 2018 until present because Lohnes filed a previous lawsuit, in violation of the First Amendment[.]” (DE # 4 at 7.) Third, he is proceeding “against Correctional Health Indiana, Inc. for injunctive relief and compensatory damages on his claim that it has a policy or practice of denying necessary medical treatment to save money, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment[.]” (Id.) The defendants filed a motion for summary judgment. (DE # 191.) Lohnes filed a response. (DE # 220, 224.) The defendants filed a request for an extension of time to file

a reply, which the court granted. (DE ## 228, 232.)1 The court will now rule on the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Summary judgment must be granted when “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a). A genuine issue of material fact exists when “the evidence is such that a reasonable [factfinder] could [find] for the nonmoving party.”

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). To determine whether a genuine issue of material fact exists, the court must construe all facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draw all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor. Heft v. Moore, 351 F.3d 278, 282 (7th Cir. 2003). However, a party opposing a properly supported summary judgment motion may not rely merely on allegations or denials in

its own pleading, but rather must “marshal and present the court with the evidence she contends will prove her case.” Goodman v. Nat’l Sec. Agency, Inc., 621 F.3d 651, 654 (7th Cir. 2010). “[I]nferences relying on mere speculation or conjecture will not suffice.” Trade Fin. Partners, LLC v. AAR Corp., 573 F.3d 401, 407 (7th Cir. 2009). I. FACTS

Lohnes arrived at the Lake County Jail in March 2016. (DE # 193-3 at 2.) As of April 2018, Lohnes was receiving treatment and medication for a number of health

1 The defendants’ time to file a reply has not yet expired, but the court concludes it can rule on the summary judgment motion without a reply from the defendants. conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (“GERD”), neck pain, and flank pain associated with kidney stones. (Id.) Specifically, Lohnes was receiving Neurontin

for his prior complaints of neck pain; an anti-psychotic medication Seroquel; ibuprofen; an anti-anxiety medication Klonopin; a proton pump inhibitor; and an H2 blocker for his GERD. (Id.) On April 6, 2018, Lohnes was seen by Nurse Katherine Mummert Back for complaints of right flank pain. (DE # 193-9 at 1-2.) Nurse Back noted a recent ultrasound study had shown kidney stones, and she ordered tramadol, an opioid-like

medication, for the associated pain. (Id. at 2; DE # 193-1 at 2-3.) On April 19, 2018, a medical assistant reported observing Lohnes spitting his tramadol and other medications into a cup after receiving the medications. (DE # 193-9 at 2; DE # 193-1 at 7, 9.) Additionally, a note was placed in sick call stating that Lohnes was selling his medication to another inmate. (Id.) Based on this information, Nurse Back discontinued

the tramadol and sent Lohnes a message informing him that she could not prescribe him medication without being sure he was not providing the medication to someone else. (Id.) Lohnes continued to receive ibuprofen until he could see a urologist. (Id.) On April 30, 2018, Lohnes reported right flank pain to Nurse Gayle Elliott. (DE # 193-11 at 1; DE # 193-1 at 14-16.) Nurse Elliott noted Lohnes had received an outside

urology evaluation that week for kidney stones. (Id.) Nurse Elliott did not believe Lohnes demonstrated clinical indications for tramadol, but she ordered that he receive tramadol twice daily until he could be seen by urology, based on his reported symptoms. (DE # 193-11 at 2; DE # 193-1 at 16.) On May 2, 2018, Nurse Elliott recorded the results of the kidney ultrasound study obtained the previous day, which found “possible tiny bilateral renal stones, no

hydronephrosis.” (DE # 193-11 at 2; DE # 193-1 at 21.) Nurse Elliott explained to Lohnes that, given the size of the kidney stones, they could not have been causing him pain. (Id.) She discontinued the tramadol and instead entered an order for ibuprofen. (Id.) On May 4, 2018, Lohnes was seen by a urologist at an outside clinic and complained of back pain. (DE # 193-4 at 1-2.) The urologist ordered a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis to further evaluate his pain. (Id.)

On May 8, 2018, a medical assistant reported that she caught Lohnes spitting his medication back into his cup and attempting to walk away. (DE # 193-1 at 24.) Later that evening, Lohnes developed an irregular cardiac rhythm and was taken to the hospital. (DE # 193-3 at 3; DE # 193-5 at 2-3.) On arrival at the hospital, Lohnes’ cardiac rhythm had returned to normal. (DE # 193-5 at 3.) Lohnes reported to hospital staff he

had some nausea and felt like he was having a panic attack, but did not report any other active health complaints. (Id. at 8-9.) An examination revealed no joint pain and normal extremities. (Id. at 10.) Hospital staff noted Lohnes had previously taken tramadol and entered an order for twelve tramadol tablets. (Id. at 7, 12-13.) Upon his return to the jail, Lohnes was given both tramadol and extra-strength Tylenol. (DE # 193-3 at 3.) When

the short-term prescription for tramadol lapsed, it was not renewed and Lohnes continued to receive extra-strength Tylenol and Neurontin. (Id.) On May 19, 2018, Lohnes complained of right shoulder pain during a sick call visit. (DE # 193-1 at 31-32.) Lohnes asserted he could not take Tylenol and requested he receive tramadol. (Id.) A nurse consulted with Dr. Forgey about Lohnes’ request, and Dr. Forgey concluded that Lohnes should remain on Tylenol and Neurontin and should

not receive tramadol based on his other health conditions, his prior misuse of tramadol, and the drug’s addictive properties. (Id. at 32; DE # 193-3 at 3-4.) On May 21, 2018, Lohnes saw Nurse David Maurer for a sick call visit and complained of right shoulder pain. (DE # 193-1 at 33-35; DE # 193-13 at 2.) Nurse Maurer recorded that Lohnes’ vital signs were within normal limits, he did not appear to be in any distress, and he reclined back onto the exam table with both arms resting

on top of his head.

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