Opinion ID: 164328
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial or Lack of Medical Treatment

Text: Mr. Dittmeyer’s injuries to his teeth and jaw, together with numerous delays in medical treatment and the substantial pain he suffered as a result, appear to have been sufficiently serious to warrant a § 1983 claim. However, with respect to the requisite element of “deliberate indifference,” we note the district court simply concluded that, even though delay occurred in Mr. Dittmeyer’s medical treatment, nothing in the record showed “deliberate indifference” nor “unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.” We limit that general conclusion only to Sheriff Whetsel and Deputy Deer for the reasons articulated hereafter. As a result, we need not determine whether the initial three-day delay in receiving treatment, or subsequent delays following submission of his health requests and declarations of substantial pain, amounted to “deliberate indifference” by others -14- as to Mr. Dittmeyer’s health and safety. After a thorough review of the record, it is clear no evidence shows Sheriff Whetsel knew of Mr. Dittmeyer’s injuries; Mr. Dittmeyer’s or his mother’s requests for treatment; or the delays or omissions in providing him treatment. As a result, Mr. Dittmeyer fails to show Sheriff Whetsel possessed the requisite personal knowledge or acted with “deliberate indifference” to his health and safety, as required, to succeed on his § 1983 claim. 2 See Penrod, 94 F.3d at 1405. As to Deputy Deer, we are inclined to further elaborate on the district court’s ruling Mr. Dittmeyer failed to present “a scintilla of evidence that would establish [Deputy] Deer was deliberately indifferent to his health and safety.” The record establishes Mr. Dittmeyer’s mother, Mrs. Crabtree, contacted Deputy Deer approximately one week after the altercation. At that point, Mr. Dittmeyer had already been seen by two nurses, a doctor, and a physician; pain medication had been prescribed; and an x-ray taken. 2 In support of the district court’s grant of summary judgment, Sheriff Whetsel’s and Deputy Deer’s counsel relies on the fact Mr. Dittmeyer admitted that, prior to the altercation, he failed to go to a dentist for several years and had already begun to experience gum disease. It is unclear why this would mitigate the seriousness of the injuries received as a result of the altercation, or the delays received in treatment for either those injuries alone or in combination with his prior poor dental condition. -15- Even viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Mr. Dittmeyer, nothing in the record establishes Mrs. Crabtree talked to Deputy Deer about a lack of medical treatment to her son. Instead, she recounted to Deputy Deer what happened to her son, and asked if he knew the incident happened and if a guard was on duty when it did happen. According to her, Deputy Deer said they couldn’t find anyone aware of the incident happening and that he “would check on the situation.” She also talked to Deputy Deer about the reasons they placed her son in isolation, and he assured her they would “do something.” At one point, she talked to an official about why her son was in isolation and not allowed to shower or call home, but she never identified Deputy Deer as the individual with whom she talked. Like his mother, Mr. Dittmeyer never talked to Deputy Deer about medical treatment related to the 1999 altercation. Instead, he spoke to him only about getting out of isolation and back into the general population. Based on the scant evidence presented, Mr. Dittmeyer fails to show Deputy Deer knew of facts from which an inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm existed because of a delay or lack of medical treatment, or that he had reason to draw such an inference. See Verdecia, 327 F.3d at 1175. -16-