Opinion ID: 780359
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prevention

Text: 40 Brock has also adduced facts sufficient for a jury to find that the DOCS policy was deliberately indifferent to Brock's receiving necessary medical care to prevent his scar from keloiding. In his affidavit, Farooq stated that, given Brock's history, it was a virtual certainty that his facial laceration would keloid. Farooq further indicated that the sort of pain Brock claims to be experiencing is not surprising given the location of the scar. Moreover, still according to Farooq, relatively inexpensive steroid injections could have prevented the keloid. Finally, Farooq stated that because preventive steps were not taken, [r]evision [now] will not correct the damage caused by the keloid formation, although it may reduce it. 41 At summary judgment, we are bound to credit Farooq's viewpoint that a denial of treatment is nowhere near as efficacious as steroid injections in preventing keloid formation in at-risk individuals. Moreover, a jury could well conclude that steroid injections were not given, not because of a medical judgment — at most negligent — that such prevention was not worthwhile, but because the DOCS policy established by Wright forbade preventative measures in cases such as Brock's. That is, a jury could find — if it credited Farooq's testimony — that the policy precluded steroid shots even when the formation of keloids was nearly certain and where those keloids could produce the sort of chronic pain Brock claims to have. If this is the case, then the policy, the jury may conclude, represents a conscious choice by DOCS to prescribe `easier and less efficacious' treatment plan[s] for prisoners who are either at risk for or who have begun to develop keloids in areas where the keloids will likely cause pain and other medical problems. Chance, 143 F.3d at 703 (quoting Williams v. Vincent, 508 F.2d 541, 544 (2d Cir.1974)). Such a choice violates the Eighth Amendment. See id. 42 On this ground too summary judgment should not have been granted to Wright. 43 Accordingly, we VACATE the order of the District Court granting summary judgment to defendant Wright and AFFIRM the grant of summary judgment to defendants Berbary and Eagan. We REMAND the case to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.