Phillips v. Tangilag

District Court, W.D. Kentucky·Decided September 23, 2020·No. 5:16-cv-00088·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY PADUCAH DIVISION CASE No. 5:16-cv-00088-TBR

DONALD R. PHILLIPS PLATINTIFF

v.

SHASTINE TANGILAG, MD, et al., DEFENDANTS

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This matter comes before the Court upon Plaintiff Donald Phillips’ (“Phillips”) Motion for Summary Judgment on Liability. [DN 168.] Defendants have responded. [DNs 176, 186, 190.] Phillips has replied. [DNs 183, 196, 197.] However, the Court has already dismissed Defendants Jefferson, Clifford, Lewis and Correct Care Solutions from this action. [DNs 222, 228.] Therefore, the Court will only consider Phillips’ Motion as it relates to Defendant Dr. Tangilag. For the following reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Phillips’ Motion for Summary Judgment on Liability [DN 168] is DENIED. Dr. Tangilag has also filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. [DN 169.] Phillilps has responded. [DN 185.] Dr. Tangilag has replied. [DN 199.] As such, this matter is ripe for adjudication. For the reasons that follow, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Dr. Tangilag’s Motion for Summary Judgment [DN 169] is GRANTED. I. Background Phillips filed this lawsuit pursuant to 42 U.S.C § 1983 on June 16, 2016. [DN 1.] Phillips asserts claims under the First, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. [DN 89 at 9.] He also asserts state law claims of ordinary negligence and medical negligence. [Id. at 10.] In 2014, Phillips was assaulted by another inmate and suffered an injury to his left leg. [DN 1 at 4.] On May 20, 2014, Phillips filed a sick call stating he was suffering from “leg swelling and discolored from calf to ankle.” [DN 164 at PageID 2023.] May 26, 2014, Phillips was seen, and he stated, “swelling has improved.” [Id. at PageID 2030.] Further, he denied “any numbness, tingling, loss of [range of motion] or weakness. Denies any pain.” [Id.] It was recommended that Philips elevate his leg “as much as possible.” [Id.] On November 26, 2014, Phillips filed a healthcare request stating, “I have a lump in my

left calf that is growing larger: from the size of an egg (appx.) to the size of a racquet ball”. [Id. at PageID 2044.] Phillips was seen on December 11, 2014 by Dr. Tangilag to address this concern. [Id. at PageID 2034-2035.] Dr. Tangilag noted the mass was approximately five inches in diameter and ordered an ultrasound. [Id.] Phillips had the ultrasound on February 3, 2015. [Id. at PageID 2040.] The ultrasound found a soft tissue mass in the area of concern with good blood flow.” [Id.] A CT Scan was recommended. [Id.] On March 13, 2015, Phillips received an off-site CT scan at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. [DN 164 at PageID 2042.] The findings were as follows: “A palpable marker was placed on the skin at the region of the abnormality. Between the gastrocnemius and soleus

muscles, there is a heterogeneous fluid collection. This is in the normal course of the plantaris muscle and likely represents a plantaris rupture. There is no evidence of fracture or worrisome osseous lesion. No soft tissue lesions are identified. The visualized tendons and ligaments appear intact.” [Id.] The impression was a “[p]robable plantaris rupture in the left lower leg.” [Id.] Dr. Tangilag met with Phillips after the CT scan results were obtained and informed him that the results would be forwarded to Dr. Jefferson, an outside orthopedic surgeon, “to see if this is something surgical that needs to be fixed. Other than the pain and the lump, he [Phillips] has full use of his leg (able to plantar flex) which is consistent with the CT scan finding.” [Id. at PageID 2032.] Dr. Jefferson saw Phillips in his office on July 3, 2015 for an examination of Phillips’ left leg. [Id. at PageID 2036.] Dr. Jefferson indicated that the lump on Phillips’ left leg was a hematoma. [Id.] In his own words, a hematoma is “bleeding that happens in the nonvascular space, like under the skin or deep to the fascia in a muscle belly. It’s just basically a large collection of hemorrhagic blood.” [DN 56-5 at 12.] In Dr. Jefferson’s estimation, Phillips ruptured his plantaris

and the hematoma was likely the resultant effect of that injury. [Id.] During his examination of Phillips, Dr. Jefferson attempted to aspirate the mass, a technique wherein the treating physician inserts a syringe into the affected area to remove any fluid that has built up there. [DN 164 at PageID 3026.] Dr. Jefferson noted that “[n]o appreciable fluid was identified consistent with the diagnosis of chronic hematoma posterior aspect of the left leg.” [Id.] Dr. Jefferson recommended that Phillips be given an MRI to determine what his options were. [Id.] The MRI was given on August 11, 2015. [Id. at PageID 2037.] The MRI indicated that the amount of fluid in Phillips’ left calf had “slightly decreased since his previous CT” scan. [Id.] No mass was identified. [Id.] Dr. Tangilag’s meeting notes from August 19, 2015, wherein she talked with Phillips, state

the following: “Dr. Ted Jefferson (Orthopedics) called last week stating that he does not need further treatment from a surgical standpoint. The hematoma is resolving.” [Id. at PageID 2031.] Dr. Tanglilag also noted Phillips said he had “contacted an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion because he still ‘wants to be treated.’” [Id.] Dr. Jefferson represented that if the hematoma did not resolve, Phillips needed to return for re-evaluation. [DN 150-2 at 16: 10-17.] Phillips contends Dr. Tangilag did not inform him that he would need to be reassessed if the hematoma did not resolve. He states he understood Dr. Tangilag’s statement that he needed no further treatment from a surgical standpoint as denying him any further treatment. Dr. Jefferson received a letter from Phillips approximately two months later stating the pain had not subsided and he had not received treatment. [DN 160-5 at PageID 1309-1310.] Dr. Jefferson did not respond to Phillips letter. [DN 150-2 at 20: 3-8.] Phillips argues Defendants have denied him the treatment Dr. Jefferson recommended. II. Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate where “the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). In determining whether summary judgment is appropriate, a court must resolve all ambiguities and draw all reasonable inferences against the moving party. See Matshushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986). “[N]ot every issue of fact or conflicting inference presents a genuine issue of material fact.” Street v. J.C. Bradford & Co., 886 F.2d 1472, 1477 (6th Cir. 1989). The test is whether the party bearing the burden of proof has presented a jury question as to each element in the case. Hartsel v. Keys, 87 F.3d 795, 799 (6th Cir. 1996). The plaintiff must present more than a mere scintilla of

evidence in support of his position; the plaintiff must present evidence on which the trier of fact could reasonable find for the plaintiff. See id. (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 252 (1986)). The plaintiff may accomplish this by “citing to particular parts of materials in the record” or by “showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence…of a genuine dispute…” Fed. R. Civ. P.

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