Opinion ID: 4539951
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Burton’s Injury and Treatment

Text: Plaintiﬀ Alnoraindus Burton injured his right knee in Feb‐ ruary 2009 while incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Over the next year, he repeatedly sought medical attention for this injury. Burton filed formal requests, wrote letters, and even went on a hunger strike to get medical attention. Burton’s knee was not treated until March 2010, when he was finally seen by defendant Dr. Partha Ghosh, who was the Medical Director at the Stateville Correctional Center and acted as Burton’s treating physician. Dr. Ghosh was em‐ ployed by Wexford Health Sources, Inc., a corporation that contracted with IDOC to provide health care to its inmates. An MRI taken on May 27, 2010 revealed that Burton had suf‐ fered a torn lateral meniscus and other damage. After reviewing the MRI, Dr. Ghosh recommended a con‐ sultation with an orthopedic specialist outside of the prison. Wexford approved the outpatient visit on July 22, and Burton visited the orthopedist on October 4, more than a year and a half after his initial injury. The surgery was finally performed two weeks later, and Burton returned to the prison that day. Burton’s discharge orders said that he should receive physical therapy and pain medication. He alleges he received neither. These needs were reiterated a week later when Bur‐ ton returned to the surgeon for a follow‐up appointment. But Burton still was not given pain medication, and he was denied physical therapy despite repeated letters to Dr. Ghosh inform‐ ing him of these needs and a formal grievance filed in late Oc‐ tober. 4 No. 19‐1360 Burton was finally referred to physical therapy in Decem‐ ber 2010 and began treatment in March 2011. Because of these delays, Burton claims, he has suﬀered significant and perma‐ nent damage to his knee, experiencing discomfort when walk‐ ing and stiﬀness when sitting or standing.