Saddozai v. Bolanes

District Court, N.D. California·Decided November 20, 2020·No. 5:18-cv-04511·Unknown

Opinion

SHIKEB SADDOZAI, Case No. 18-04511 BLF (PR) Plaintiff, DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR v.

DR. SPENCER, et al., Defendants.

(Docket No. 31)

Plaintiff, a state prisoner, filed a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Court found the amended complaint, Dkt. No. 101, stated a cognizable claim of deliberate indifference to serious medical needs under the Eighth Amendment against Defendants Dr. Robert Spencer and Nurse Practitioner Amanda Anguelouch at the San Mateo County Jail, Maguire Correctional Facility (“MCF”), and ordered the matter served on Defendants. Dkt. No. 14. Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment on the grounds that Plaintiff has not established the essential elements for a deliberate indifference to serious medical needs claim under the Eighth Amendment as a matter of

1 All page references herein are to the Docket (ECF) pages shown in the header to each law, and they are entitled to qualified immunity. Dkt. No. 31.2 Plaintiff was provided five extensions of time to file an opposition, with the last order granting him a final extension of time until October 21, 2020. Dkt. Nos. 44, 48, 53, 55, 59. He did not file an opposition in the time provided. Accordingly, on November 4, 2020, Defendants filed a notice of Plaintiff’s non-opposition to their summary judgment. Dkt. No. 60. Thereafter, Plaintiff filed a letter dated November 8, 2020, requesting another extension of time due to COVID-19 related lockdowns and limited access to the prison law library. Dkt. No. 61. The request for additional time, which was filed more than two weeks after the opposition deadline had expired, is DENIED as the Court made clear in its last order that no further extensions of time would be granted for the reasons stated therein. Dkt. No. 59 at 2. For the reasons stated below, Defendants’ motion for summary judgment is I. Statement of Facts3 The underlying events took place while Plaintiff was detained at MCF as of February 12, 2016, until July 30, 2018, when he was transferred to the California Department of Corrections. Sheng Decl., Ex. A; Dkt. No. 31-1. Plaintiff was treated at 2 In support of their motion, Defendants provide the declarations of counsel Paul S. Sheng, Dkt. No. 31-1, Dr. Kenton Fong, a non-party, Dkt. No. 31-2, and Defendant Dr. Robert Spencer, Dkt. No. 31-3. Accompanying these declarations are exhibits that include copies of Plaintiff’s records from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, excerpts from Plaintiff’s medical records from various institutions, copies of his grievances related to the relevant medical issues, and copies of unanswered interrogatories, requests for production of documents and admissions sent to Plaintiff. Dkt. No. 31-1, Exs. A-CC; Dkt. No. 31-2, Exs. A-F; Dkt. No. 31-3, Exs. A-S. Exhibits with a notation “subject to sealing motion” accompanying the declarations of Mr. Sheng and Dr. Fong can be found under Defendants’ Administrative Motion to File under Seal, Dkt. No. 29, which was withdrawn and stricken. See Dkt. No. 44. San Francisco General Hospital for a gunshot wound to his right forearm on February 8, 2016, and then came into MCF’s custody on February 12, 2016. Dkt. No. 10 at 4. According to Plaintiff, he was discharged from the hospital with “medical instructions, ordering county jail physicians to schedule treatment for surgery with a hand specialist for damages to [Plaintiff’s] dominant hand, and arm, and the attendant pain, and suffering of a gun[]shot wound.” Id. Plaintiff also claims that Dr. Fong, a plastic surgeon, referred him to Stanford for the surgery, but that Defendants Dr. Spencer and Nurse Amanda at MCF caused unnecessary and excessive delay over a period of two years, resulting in further pain and suffering, specifically with respect to the following: (1) delaying an EMG test until December 2, 2016; (2) failing to follow up on a referral to Stanford for surgery as ordered by Dr. Fong; and (3) failing to act upon his numerous grievance complaints. Id. at 4-5. Based on these allegations, the Court found Plaintiff stated a cognizable claim under the Eighth Amendment for deliberate indifference to serious medical needs. Dkt. No. 14 at 2-3. Defendant Dr. Spencer is the Medical Director of the County of San Mateo Correctional Medicine. Spencer Decl. ¶ 3; Dkt. No. 31-3. In that role, Defendant Spencer manages and personally provides medical care to inmates, as well as overseeing and consulting with Family Nurse Practitioners in connection with their provision of medical care to inmates at MCF. Id. Defendant Spencer is personally familiar with the medical care provided to Plaintiff while he was incarcerated at MCF from February 2016 through July 2018. Id. Stanford Medical Center (“Stanford”) is the tertiary care provider for San Mateo County Correctional Medicine (“SMCCM”), meaning that if SMCCM is unable to provide a service, e.g., a specialist consultation, the patient is referred to the secondary care provider, which is San Mateo Medical Center. Spencer Decl. ¶ 4. If San Mateo Medical Center is unable to provide a procedure, the patient is referred to the tertiary care provider. patient referral for a procedure such as a tendon transfer. Id. Plaintiff was booked into MCF on February 11, 2016, after being discharged from San Francisco General Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right arm. Sheng Decl., Ex. A. Care and management of the gunshot wound, such as dressing changes, was provided by SMCCM nursing staff 42 times between February 12, 2016 through April 1, 2016. Id., Ex. B; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 2-9. According to his medical records, Plaintiff received regular treatment at MCF, which included the following: on February 11, 2016, narcotic pain medication was ordered and provided to Plaintiff for pain secondary to his recent gunshot wound injury, Sheng Decl., Ex. C, Dkt. No. 29-1 at 16; on February 15, 2016, Plaintiff had evaluation and treatment for his gunshot wound by a Family Nurse Practitioner (“FNP”), id., Ex. C, Dkt. No. 29-1 at 18-19; and on February 17, 2016, Plaintiff had a follow-up visit with an FNP, and further medication (Gabapentin) was ordered, id., Ex. E, Dkt. No. 29-1 at 21. On March 30, 2016, Plaintiff was evaluated at MCF by visiting orthopedist Dr. Paul Linquist, who recommended a referral to plastic surgery. Id., Ex. F; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 23. On April 26, 2016, Defendant Spencer saw and evaluated Plaintiff, and ordered an X- ray of his right forearm. Id., Ex. G; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 25. Then on May 2, 2016, Plaintiff had a first-time consultation with Dr. Kenton Fong, the Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at San Mateo Medical Center. Sheng Decl., Ex. H; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 27-28; Fong Decl. ¶ 1. Dr. Fong noted Plaintiff’s complaint of an inability to extend his small (pinky) finger and ring finger and diminished sensation in his middle finger, small finger, and ring finger. Fong Decl. ¶ 3. Plaintiff also reported 0/10 pain. Id. Dr. Fong assessed Plaintiff with ulnar and radial nerve palsy and ordered an EMG (electromyelogram) study to evaluate the injury further. Id., Ex. B; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 83-84. Two days later, on May 4, 2016, Plaintiff had an X-ray of his right forearm which showed no fracture, dislocation, subluxation (partial dislocation), periostitis (inflammation), or osteolysis (bone degeneration). Sheng Decl., Ex. I; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 34. The EMG had not been completed yet, and Plaintiff otherwise had no change in status at that time. Id. Plaintiff reported 0/10 pain during the visit. Id., Ex. C, Dkt. No. 29-1 at 86- 87; Sheng Decl., Ex. J, Dkt. No. 29-1 at 36-37. On May 24, 2016, Plaintiff had the EMG study, performed by Dr. Siegel, at San Mateo Medical Center. Sheng Decl., Ex. K; Dkt. No. 29-1 at 39-42. On June 27, 2016, Plaintiff had another follow-up visit with Dr. Fong. Fong Decl. ¶ 5. Plaintiff reported 0/10 pain at t

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