Opinion ID: 2979625
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant Terrie

Text: Barnett alleges that Terrie, a nurse, gave him Dilantin, an anti-seizure medication, rather than the ibuprofen he was supposed to receive. He alleges further that she “left the ‘scene’ of the incident without supervision of plaintiff [sic] care” and “violated plaintiff [sic] care by denying plaintiff of [sic] treatment for headache after plaintiff [sic] fall.”1 The subjective component of EighthAmendment claims “is meant to prevent the constitutionalization of medical malpractice claims,” Dominguez v. Correctional Med. Servs., 555 F.3d 543, 550 (6th Cr. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted), and Barnett alleges no facts suggesting that Terrie’s incorrect administration of Dilantin was anything other than negligent. It thus constituted medical malpractice at most and cannot constitute an Eighth-Amendment violation. See id. 1 Barnett alleged below also that the Dilantin caused him a rash, but he seems to have abandoned that claim on appeal, so we do not consider it. See Bickel v. Korean Air Lines Co., 96 F.3d 151, 153 (6th Cir. 1996). -5- No. 08-6432 Barnett v. Luttrell, et al. However, Barnett’s claim that Terrie abandoned him after his fall without providing him with any treatment does state a plausible claim for relief under the Eighth Amendment. Terrie’s alleged presence at the fall and subsequent departure satisfy the subjective requirement. See Blackmore, 390 F.3d at 895-96. And the fact that Barnett, a pro se non-lawyer, titles many of his claims “medical negligence” is immaterial, for a plaintiff pleads facts, not legal claims. See Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949. It is our job to place those facts into the corresponding legal boxes. See id. As for the other component of an Eighth-Amendment claim, head injuries—especially after as significant a fall as the one Barnett alleges—are sufficiently serious to satisfy the objective requirement. See Talal v. White, 403 F.3d 423, 427 (6th Cir. 2005); see also Williams, 2011 WL 284494, at  (finding that “coughing and a shortage of oxygen” is adequately serious, and that—in any case—the “de minimus” nature of an injury is an insufficient basis for dismissal of a complaint). In Talal, we found “sinus problems and dizziness” adequate to constitute a serious medical need. 403 F.3d at 427. Here, the headaches and pain caused by the fall are of comparable nature to the injuries alleged in Talal, so we find that Barnett has adequately pled an Eighth-Amendment claim against Terrie. The dismissal of this claim against her was thus in error.