Gloria Coleman v. Nurse Ruth Rahija ( 1997 )


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  •                   United States Court of Appeals
    FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    ____________
    No. 96-1351
    ____________
    Gloria Coleman,                       *
    *
    Appellee,           *
    *
    v.                              * Appeal from the United States
    * District Court for the
    Nurse Ruth Rahija, Nurse at           * Southern District of Iowa
    IMCC - Oakdale,                       *
    *
    Appellant.          *
    ____________
    Submitted:    October 22, 1996
    Filed:     June 5, 1997
    ____________
    Before RICHARD S. ARNOLD, Chief Judge, and FLOYD R. GIBSON and
    McMILLIAN, Circuit Judges.
    ____________
    McMILLIAN, Circuit Judge.
    Gloria Coleman brought this action in the United States District
    Court for the Southern District of Iowa, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983,
    claiming that Ruth Rahija was deliberately indifferent to her serious
    medical needs in violation of her Eighth Amendment right to be free from
    cruel and unusual punishment.   Rahija now appeals from the district court’s
    final order, following a bench trial, holding that Rahija was deliberately
    indifferent to Coleman’s serious medical needs and awarding Coleman $1,000
    in compensatory damages and $3,500 in punitive damages.     Coleman v.
    -1-
    Rahija,       No. 4-91-CV-50260 (S.D. Iowa Jan. 2, 1996) (Coleman).                    For
    reversal, Rahija argues that the district court erred in finding that (1)
    Coleman had a serious medical need; (2) Rahija had sufficient knowledge of
    Coleman’s        serious   medical    need   to    justify   a   finding   of   deliberate
    indifference; (3) Coleman suffered actual harm as a consequence of Rahija’s
    actions; and (4) Rahija’s conduct was sufficiently callous to support an
    award of punitive damages.           For the reasons discussed below, we vacate the
    award of punitive damages and affirm the order of the district court on the
    remaining issues.
    I. Background
    The factual background is primarily based on the findings of the
    district court.       
    Id. at 1-10.
        On January 15, 1991, Coleman, an inmate, was
    transferred from the Iowa Correctional Facility for Women in Mitchellville,
    Iowa, to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) in Oakdale,
    Iowa.       At that time, Coleman was twenty-eight years old and approximately
    seven months pregnant.         She was transferred to IMCC to facilitate closer
    monitoring of her pregnancy.            Rahija was a registered nurse employed by
    1
    IMCC.
    Upon Coleman’s arrival at IMCC, the IMCC Health Services Department
    (Health Services) conducted a “health screen” and documented Coleman’s
    health history, including the fact that Coleman had five prior pregnancies.
    Dr. Timothy Pflederer, a Health Services physician, conducted a routine
    physical examination of Coleman on January 23, 1991, and noted in his
    examination notes
    1
    In her answer, Rahija asserted qualified immunity as an
    affirmative defense but failed to argue it in the district court.
    She also failed to make a qualified immunity argument to this
    court.
    -2-
    that Coleman had a long history of problematic pregnancies.                          In 1980,
    Coleman prematurely delivered twins who were either stillborn or died
    shortly after birth.        Of Coleman’s subsequent four pregnancies, three
    involved precipitous labors lasting less than one hour and one resulted in
    a premature delivery.       Based on this information, Dr. Pflederer referred
    Coleman to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Obstetrical Unit
    (the University) for an evaluation.             On January 30, 1991, Dr. Katherine
    Stevenson, a University resident physician, examined Coleman and discovered
    that her cervix was one to two centimeters dilated.                        She reported that
    Coleman’s obstetric history was “significant” and recommended that Coleman
    remain at IMCC due to its proximity to the University and Coleman’s history
    of pre-term deliveries.
    On January 31, 1991, a notation was made in the Health Services
    records that Coleman had been examined at the University and was to remain
    at   IMCC   until   after   the    baby   was      born.     On     February   2,   1991,    at
    approximately 8:45 a.m., Coleman awoke and went to Health Services,
    complaining that her “water” was “leaking.”                    A Health Services nurse
    examined Coleman and determined that Coleman’s amnion had not ruptured.
    Instead, the nurse determined that Coleman was experiencing normal mucous
    vaginal     discharge   which     commonly    occurs       during    the    later   stages   of
    pregnancy.    The nurse gave Coleman sanitary napkins and instructed her to
    notify Health Services if her condition worsened.
    On February 14, 1991, Coleman returned to Health Services complaining
    that she “had a bloody show.”          At that time, Health Services transferred
    Coleman to the University for an examination.                 The University physicians
    determined that Coleman was not in active labor but noted that her cervix
    was dilated one to two centimeters and she was having minimal contractions.
    The University physicians instructed Health Services to return Coleman to
    the University if
    -3-
    her contractions became painful, regular, and separated by ten minutes or
    less.2
    On February 15, 1991, Coleman awoke early in the morning and noticed
    some spotting of blood.      She complained of bleeding, back pain, and stomach
    pain to a guard, who sent her to Health Services.                 She notified Health
    Services of the spotting and decided not to attend her required school
    classes that day.      At approximately 10:30 a.m., Coleman again reported to
    Health Services complaining of more bleeding and back pain.                  Although
    Coleman denied being terribly uncomfortable, Coleman’s symptoms were
    recognized signs of labor and led the IMCC nursing staff to call the
    University.      Dr.    Alvina   Driscoll,     a   University   resident   physician,
    determined that the bleeding was likely due to cervical changes and was not
    a   concern   unless    it   increased   or    was   associated    with   cramping   or
    contractions.    The IMCC nursing staff recorded in Coleman’s medical chart
    that she was to be monitored for increased bleeding or signs of labor.               The
    bleeding was to be monitored by inspecting Coleman’s sanitary napkins.
    Coleman returned to Health Services at approximately 2:00 p.m. to complain
    of more bleeding and show a nurse a sanitary napkin with blood on it.
    After looking at the sanitary napkin, the nurse threw it in the garbage.
    At approximately 7:00 p.m., Coleman was watching television when she
    stood to use the bathroom and felt an extreme pain in her lower abdomen
    causing her to double over.       Coleman’s pain began to subside when another
    inmate, Felicia Allen, attempted to comfort her.                Sometime thereafter,
    Coleman went to Health Services and was seen by Rahija, who had come on
    duty at 3:00 p.m.        Without taking Coleman’s vital signs, performing a
    vaginal examination, or
    2
    Under IMCC’s policy, a pregnant woman is transferred to the
    University when she is in active labor. Brief for Appellant at 10.
    -4-
    attempting to monitor the baby’s heart tones, Rahija sent Coleman back to
    her living unit and told her to return when the contractions were six to
    seven minutes apart.
    At approximately 9:30 p.m., Coleman’s pain worsened.    She returned
    to Health Services and reported to Rahija that she was still bleeding, she
    hurt “down there,” pointing to her abdomen, and her contractions were six
    minutes apart.         Rahija placed her hands on the exterior of Coleman’s
    abdomen and noted that she was unable to feel any contractions.3       Rahija
    monitored the baby’s heart tones, which were 142 beats per minute.     At that
    time, Coleman denied experiencing low back pain or rupturing of her amnion.
    Despite concluding that Coleman was in “possible early labor,” Rahija sent
    Coleman back to her living unit and instructed her to return to Health
    Services if the bleeding increased or the contractions increased in
    severity or regularity.
    Following Rahija’s instructions, Coleman returned to her living
    4
    unit.        Coleman sat on the edge of her bed in increasing pain until 11:25
    p.m., when she began to scream from the intense pain and moved to the
    cement floor, where she laid in a fetal position.      A correctional officer
    allowed Allen and another inmate to enter Coleman’s living unit to attempt
    to calm her by talking to her and rubbing her back and stomach.
    At that point, a correctional officer called Health Services to
    summon Rahija and Grace Schwickerath, also a registered nurse,
    3
    Health Services did not have any equipment to monitor
    Coleman’s contractions, and Rahija was not qualified to perform a
    vaginal examination of Coleman to monitor any cervical changes.
    4
    Notably, at no time prior to her transfer to the University
    at approximately 11:45 p.m. on February 15, 1991, did Coleman
    receive the assistance of a wheelchair.
    -5-
    to attend to Coleman.         When they arrived, Coleman stated that she was in
    pain and felt “like pushing.”              The nurses observed that Coleman appeared
    to be “bearing down.”         Both nurses placed their hands on the exterior of
    Coleman’s abdomen and were unable to feel any contractions.                    One of the
    nurses monitored the baby’s fetal heart tones, which were 120 beats per
    minute.     The nurses asked Coleman to stand to allow them to inspect her
    sanitary    napkin.          As    Coleman     stood,    she    “grunted”   and   expelled
    approximately 15cc of dark red blood.            Coleman’s sanitary napkin indicated
    that she had been spotting previously.              Coleman stated that she “should go
    ahead [and] just have this baby [and] that would teach you for not
    listening.”     
    Id. at 9.5
            At that point, the nurses agreed that Coleman
    should be transported to the University and Schwickerath went to make the
    necessary arrangements.           Rahija stayed with Coleman and noted that Coleman
    was probably in premature labor.             However, Schwickerath noted that Coleman
    was in “questionable labor.”            
    Id. At approximately
    11:45 p.m., Coleman was transported from IMCC to the
    University.          While    transporting          Coleman,    the   attending    medical
    professionals repeatedly called Coleman’s name to prevent her from falling
    asleep.    Coleman constantly felt the urge to push and, sometime during the
    ride, expelled another 20cc of blood.                   Shortly after arriving at the
    University, Coleman delivered a premature baby boy at 12:20 a.m. on
    February 16, 1991, although she was later unable to remember the delivery.
    Neither    Coleman    nor    the    baby    suffered    any    complications   during   the
    delivery.    Coleman
    5
    The   district    court   recognized    that   Coleman   was
    “understandably uncooperative” because she believed that her child
    was about to be born yet was unable to obtain any assistance from
    the nursing staff. See Coleman v. Rahija, No. 4-91-CV-50260, slip
    op. at 9 n.6 (S.D. Iowa Jan. 2, 1996).
    -6-
    returned to IMCC on February 18, 1991, and the baby was later released from
    the hospital to the care of Coleman’s mother.
    On March 3, 1991, Coleman completed a form complaint used by
    prisoners to file complaints under the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983,
    alleging that Rahija violated Coleman’s Eighth Amendment right to be free
    from cruel and unusual punishment by being deliberately indifferent to
    Coleman’s complaints that she was in labor, which caused her to suffer both
    physically and emotionally.      Coleman’s complaint was filed in the United
    States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on April 29, 1991.
    On September 27-28, 1994, this matter was tried to the district
    court, sitting without a jury.          The case remained open for further
    depositions and was completed on April 10, 1995.          The district court held
    that Rahija’s conduct deprived Coleman “‘of the minimal civilized measure
    of life’s necessities’ afforded her by the Eighth Amendment,” 
    id. at 19-20,
    quoting Whitnack v. Douglas County, 
    16 F.3d 954
    , 957 (8th Cir. 1994), and
    awarded Coleman $1,000.00 in actual damages and $3,500.00 in punitive
    damages, 
    id. at 24.
          The district court held that, while some evidence
    suggested that Coleman should have been taken to the University at 7:00
    p.m. on February 15, 1991, the greater weight of the evidence indicated
    that, at 9:30 p.m., a reasonable person would have concluded that Coleman
    was in labor and in need of proper medical attention provided by the
    University.    
    Id. at 21.
       The   district   court    held   that   Rahija   was
    accountable for Coleman’s pain and suffering between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30
    p.m., when Coleman was finally transferred to the University.              
    Id. The district
    court further held that Rahija’s conduct in delaying Coleman’s
    transfer to the University rose to the level of callousness and warranted
    punitive damages to prevent such an occurrence in the future.            
    Id. at 23-
    24.   This appeal followed.
    -7-
    II. Discussion
    To prevail on an Eighth Amendment claim, an inmate must show both an
    objective element, that the deprivation was sufficiently serious, and a
    subjective element, that the defendant acted with a sufficiently culpable
    state of mind.     Choate v. Lockhart, 
    7 F.3d 1370
    , 1373 (8th Cir. 1993),
    citing Wilson v. Seiter, 
    501 U.S. 294
    , 302-03 (1991).           In a deprivation of
    medical care case, an inmate must show that the prison official was
    deliberately indifferent to the inmate’s serious medical needs.           Camberos
    v. Branstad, 
    73 F.3d 174
    , 175 (8th Cir. 1995).           In order to succeed, an
    inmate must show both that he or she had an objectively serious medical
    need and that the defendant knew of and disregarded that need.           Miller v.
    Schoenen, 
    75 F.3d 1305
    , 1309 (8th Cir. 1996), citing Estelle v. Gamble, 
    429 U.S. 97
    , 105 (1976), and Farmer v. Brennan, 
    511 U.S. 825
    , 837 (1994)
    (Farmer).    Each step of this inquiry is fact-intensive, and we review the
    district court’s factual conclusions for clear error.            Jensen v. Clarke,
    
    94 F.3d 1191
    , 1197-98 (8th Cir. 1996).
    A.     Serious Medical Need
    The initial question presented in this case is whether the district
    court’s     finding that Coleman had a serious medical need is clearly
    erroneous.     A serious medical need is “one that has been diagnosed by a
    physician as requiring treatment, or one that is so obvious that even a
    layperson would easily recognize the necessity for a doctor’s attention.”
    Camberos v. 
    Branstad, 73 F.3d at 176
    .         When an inmate alleges that a delay
    in   medical   treatment   constituted    a    constitutional    deprivation,   “the
    objective seriousness of the deprivation should also be measured by
    reference to the effect of delay in treatment.”        Crowley v. Hedgepeth, 109
    -8-
    F.3d 500, 502 (8th Cir. 1997).     An inmate’s failure to place verifying
    medical evidence in the record to establish the detrimental effect of delay
    in medical treatment precludes a claim of deliberate indifference to
    medical needs.   
    Id. In this
    case, the district court found that Coleman was experiencing
    pre-term labor and concluded that her condition was sufficiently serious
    to constitute a serious medical need.     Specifically, the district court
    found that Coleman’s medical records indicated that she had a propensity
    of rapid labor and delivery; she was exhibiting some sign of possible labor
    in the early afternoon on February 15, 1991; Rahija noted that Coleman was
    in “possible early labor” at 9:30 p.m.; and Coleman believed the matter
    sufficiently serious to continue seeking medical treatment.   Coleman at 13-
    14.   The district court also recognized six factors which might signal pre-
    term labor, five of which could be determined by an external examination,
    and found that Coleman had four of the five observable factors.   
    Id. at 16-
    17.   These four factors included: (1) an increase in vaginal discharge; (2)
    a “bloody show”; (3) uterine contractions six minutes apart; and (4)
    abdominal pain possibly attributable to a tightening of her pelvis and
    earlier complaints of lower back pain.    
    Id. The district
    court was also
    persuaded that had Rahija performed a vaginal examination of Coleman, there
    would have been evidence of progressive dilatation and effacement of the
    cervix.   
    Id. at 17.
           Rahija argues that the district court’s finding that Coleman had a
    serious medical need is clearly erroneous.   Rahija cites Boxwell v. County
    of Sherburne, 
    849 F.2d 1117
    (8th Cir. 1988), for the proposition that
    pregnancy alone is not necessarily a serious medical need and claims that
    Coleman failed to present evidence of unusual circumstances related to her
    pregnancy to raise it to the level of a serious medical need.        Rahija
    contends that Coleman was
    -9-
    not in active labor until 11:25 p.m. on February 15, 1991, because, based
    on Coleman’s previous precipitous deliveries, had she been in labor at 9:30
    p.m., the baby would have been born before 12:20 a.m.            Rahija also claims
    that the district court clearly erred in finding that Coleman complained
    of back pain at approximately 10:30 a.m. that day because the medical
    records   indicate   that    Coleman      reported    “[b]leeding   again    -   back
    uncomfortable but no pains.”     Brief for Appellant at 5, citing Appendix at
    325.
    Based on the evidence presented at trial and relied upon by the
    district court, we conclude that the relevant factual findings of the
    district court, as outlined above, are not clearly erroneous.                While a
    woman’s pregnancy is generally not, alone, a serious medical need, Coleman
    presented evidence of her previous rapid labors and premature deliveries
    to establish a substantial risk of pre-term labor.          See Boxwell v. County
    of 
    Sherburne, 849 F.2d at 1122
    (risk of miscarriage where pretrial detainee
    was six and one-half months into problem pregnancy, was bleeding, had
    previously fainted, and had history of rapid labor).             A layperson would
    have recognized the necessity for a doctor’s attention at 9:30 p.m.              See
    Camberos v. 
    Branstad, 73 F.3d at 176
    (a serious medical need is one that
    is so obvious that a layperson would recognize the necessity for a doctor’s
    attention).    Also,   based   on   the    district    court’s   factual    findings,
    Coleman’s symptoms satisfied the requirements for transfer as set forth by
    the University physicians.     See 
    id. (a serious
    medical need is one that has
    been diagnosed by a physician as requiring treatment).           We therefore hold
    that the district court did not clearly err in concluding that Coleman’s
    physical condition constituted a serious medical need.
    We also hold that Coleman presented sufficient “verifying medical
    evidence” that Rahija “ignored a critical or escalating situation or that
    the delay posed a substantial risk of serious
    -10-
    harm” for her claim to succeed.     See Beyerbach v. Sears, 
    49 F.3d 1324
    , 1327
    (8th Cir. 1995) (inmate’s failure to present verifying medical evidence
    constituted failure to establish objective component of claim); see also
    Crowley v. 
    Hedgepeth, 109 F.3d at 502
    .        Specifically, Coleman presented
    expert testimony that the urge to push during the delivery process is an
    involuntary reaction, see Coleman at 18, indicating that Coleman, in fact,
    had been in labor, see Appendix at 48 (deposition testimony of Dr. Paul
    Loeffelholz),6 and that the delay in her treatment posed a substantial risk
    of serious harm.
    B.     Deliberate Indifference
    Having held that the district court did not clearly err in finding
    that Coleman’s condition constituted a serious medical need, we now address
    the   question   whether   the   district   court’s   finding   that   Rahija   was
    deliberately indifferent to Coleman’s serious medical need is clearly
    erroneous.   This question, like the first step in our analysis, is a
    question of fact reviewed for clear error.        
    Jensen, 94 F.3d at 1198
    .       To
    satisfy this subjective element, Farmer requires a finding of actual
    knowledge on the part of the defendant.7     Jensen v. 
    Clarke, 94 F.3d at 1195
    (failure-to-protect case applying same two-step analysis).               A prison
    official may be held liable under the Eighth Amendment if he or she knows
    that an inmate faces a substantial risk of serious harm and
    6
    Dr. Paul Loeffelholz, the clinical director for IMCC and
    medical director for the Iowa Department of Corrections, testified
    that “bearing down” is a voluntary activity to help expel the fetus
    once the cervix is fully dilated. Appendix at 48.
    7
    Although Farmer v. Brennan, 
    511 U.S. 825
    (1994), is a
    conditions-of-confinement case, the analytical model it provides
    applies equally to deprivation of medical care cases. Beyerbach v.
    Sears, 
    49 F.3d 1324
    , 1326 n.1 (8th Cir. 1995).
    -11-
    disregards that risk by failing to take reasonable measures to abate it.
    
    Farmer, 511 U.S. at 847
    .   “[T]he failure to treat a medical condition does
    not constitute punishment within the meaning of the Eighth Amendment unless
    prison officials knew that the condition created an excessive risk to the
    inmate’s health and then failed to act on that knowledge.”     Long v. Nix,
    
    86 F.3d 761
    , 765 (8th Cir. 1996).   Moreover, “an Eighth Amendment claimant
    need not show that a prison official acted or failed to act believing that
    harm actually would befall an inmate; it is enough that the official acted
    or failed to act despite his [or her] knowledge of a substantial risk of
    serious harm.”     
    Farmer, 511 U.S. at 842
    .   The factual determination that
    a prison official had the requisite knowledge of a substantial risk may be
    inferred from circumstantial evidence or from the very fact that the risk
    was obvious.     
    Id. For example,
    if an Eighth Amendment plaintiff presents
    evidence showing that a substantial risk [to the
    inmate’s health] was longstanding, pervasive, well-
    documented, or expressly noted by prison officials in
    the past, and the circumstances suggest that the
    defendant-official being sued had been exposed to
    information concerning the risk and thus must have known
    about it, then such evidence could be sufficient to
    permit a trier of fact to find that the defendant-
    official had actual knowledge of the risk.
    
    Id. at 842-43
    (internal quotations omitted).
    The district court, in this case, concluded that Rahija had actual
    knowledge of Coleman’s serious medical need.    The district court based its
    finding on the documentation in Coleman’s medical records of her previous
    precipitous labors, the IMCC officials’ election to keep Coleman at IMCC
    until after delivery because of her medical history, Rahija’s notation that
    Coleman might have been in possible early labor, and Coleman’s objective
    symptoms that she was experiencing pre-term labor.        Coleman at 14-15,
    citing Farmer,
    
    -12- 511 U.S. at 842
    (“a factfinder may conclude that a prison official knew of
    a substantial risk from the very fact that the risk was obvious”).
    Rahija argues that the district court clearly erred in finding that
    she had the requisite knowledge to constitute deliberate indifference.
    Rahija claims that Coleman did not have painful, regular contractions less
    than    ten   minutes   apart,   increased   heavy   bleeding,   or   bleeding   with
    contractions until 11:25 p.m., at which point Rahija determined that
    Coleman should be sent to the University.        Thus, Rahija contends that she
    was    not deliberately indifferent to Coleman’s condition because her
    treatment of Coleman was consistent with the University physician’s (Dr.
    Driscoll’s) advice.
    In this case, the district court’s conclusion that Nurse Rahija had
    actual knowledge based on the obviousness of Coleman’s serious medical need
    is not clearly erroneous.        Coleman’s propensity for precipitous labor and
    premature delivery was well-documented and expressly noted by prison
    officials in Coleman’s medical records, to which Rahija had been exposed,
    and constituted the sole reason for Coleman’s placement at IMCC.          From this
    evidence, a trier of fact could have found that Rahija had actual knowledge
    of the risk of pre-term labor.       See 
    Farmer, 511 U.S. at 842
    -43; 
    Jensen, 94 F.3d at 1198
    .     We therefore hold that the district court did not clearly
    err in finding that Rahija’s unnecessary delay in transferring Coleman to
    the University constituted deliberate indifference to Coleman’s serious
    medical need.    See Johnson-El v. Schoemehl, 
    878 F.2d 1043
    , 1055 (8th Cir.
    1989) (“Delay in the provision of treatment or in providing examinations
    can violate inmates’ rights when the inmates’ ailments are medically
    serious or painful in nature.”).
    -13-
    C.     Compensatory Damages
    Compensatory damages may include not only out-of-pocket loss and
    other monetary harms, but also such injuries as impairment of reputation,
    personal humiliation, and mental anguish and suffering.   Memphis Community
    Sch. Dist. v. Stachura, 
    477 U.S. 299
    , 307 (1986) (Stachura).   Specifically,
    mental and emotional distress, which include mental suffering and emotional
    anguish, constitute compensable injury under § 1983.   Carey v. Piphus, 
    435 U.S. 247
    , 264 & n.20 (1978).       While such injuries are essentially
    subjective, they may be evidenced by the plaintiff’s conduct and observed
    by others.   
    Id. at 264
    n.20.   Additionally, evidence of physical pain and
    suffering may support an award of compensatory damages in excess of any
    actual out-of-pocket medical expenses.     Jackson v. Crews, 
    873 F.2d 1105
    ,
    1109 (8th Cir. 1988).
    Rahija argues that the record does not support the district court’s
    finding that Coleman was subjected to pain and suffering from 9:30 p.m.
    until 11:30 p.m.   Instead, Rahija suggests that Coleman experienced nothing
    different from what women endure during childbirth and that Coleman had
    access to a television and a bed as if she was in a hospital.           She
    concludes that had she transferred Coleman to the University at 9:30 p.m.,
    as suggested by the district court, Coleman would have experienced the same
    labor in the hospital as she did in her living unit, and, therefore, there
    was nothing unconstitutional about where Coleman experienced labor or how
    Rahija treated her.
    We disagree and hold that the evidence supports the district court’s
    award of compensatory damages for Coleman’s physical pain and suffering and
    mental anguish and suffering.    Fortunately, neither Coleman nor her baby
    suffered any complications during the delivery at the University.   However,
    the fact remains that,
    -14-
    because of Rahija’s unnecessary delay, Coleman was subjected to “a great
    deal of fear and physical suffering [which] accompanied the prospect of
    having a baby on the floor of a penal institution,”   Coleman at 21, without
    the appropriate medical attention.    We therefore hold that the district
    court did not clearly err in finding that Coleman suffered a compensable
    injury under § 1983.
    D.    Punitive Damages
    In a   §   1983 case, both compensatory and punitive damages are
    available upon proper proof.     Cunningham v. City of Overland, 
    804 F.2d 1066
    , 1069 (8th Cir. 1986), citing 
    Stachura, 477 U.S. at 306
    & n.9.     But
    unlike compensatory damages, which are mandatory and are awarded as a
    matter of right once liability is found, punitive damages are awarded or
    rejected in a particular case at the discretion of the fact finder once
    sufficiently serious misconduct by the defendant is shown.   Smith v. Wade,
    
    461 U.S. 30
    , 52 (1983); McKinnon v. Kwong Wah Restaurant, 
    83 F.3d 498
    , 508
    (1st Cir. 1996) (Title VII case).   Punitive damages are awarded to “punish
    the defendant for his [or her] willful or malicious conduct and to deter
    others from similar behavior.”   
    Stachura, 477 U.S. at 306
    n.9.   The focus,
    in determining the propriety of punitive damages, is on the intent of the
    defendant, Cunningham v. City of 
    Overland, 804 F.2d at 1070
    , and whether
    the defendant’s conduct is of the sort that calls for deterrence and
    punishment over and above that provided by compensatory awards.    Smith v.
    
    Wade, 461 U.S. at 54
    .    Punitive damages are appropriate in a § 1983 case
    “‘when the defendant’s conduct is shown to be motivated by evil motive or
    intent, or when it involves reckless or callous indifference to the
    federally protected rights of others.’” Walters v. Grossheim, 
    990 F.2d 381
    ,
    385 (8th Cir. 1993), quoting Smith v. 
    Wade, 461 U.S. at 56
    .
    -15-
    To impose a punitive award in this case, the district court was
    required to find not only that Rahija’s conduct met the callousness
    threshold, which is a question of ultimate fact, but also that her conduct
    merited a punitive award of $3,500 in addition to the compensatory award,
    which is a discretionary moral judgment.       Smith v. 
    Wade, 461 U.S. at 52
    .
    Applying this standard, the district court awarded Coleman $3,500.00 in
    punitive damages “so that prison officials recognize the seriousness of
    this lack of action and guard against it in the future.”        Coleman at 24.
    A finding of deliberate indifference to a serious medical need, while
    establishing liability under § 1983, does not necessitate a finding of
    callous   indifference   warranting   punitive   damages.    See     Standley   v.
    Chilhowee R-IV Sch. District, 
    5 F.3d 319
    , 323 (8th Cir. 1993) (defendant
    was liable under § 1983 for violating plaintiff’s First Amendment rights,
    but there was insufficient evidence that defendant’s conduct rose to the
    level of “evil motive” or “reckless or callous indifference” to justify
    punitive damages); see also Cornell v. Woods, 
    69 F.3d 1383
    , 1391 (8th Cir.
    1995) (prison officials’ conduct in punishing inmate for exercising his
    First Amendment rights established liability under § 1983 but did not
    warrant imposition of punitive damages); Ivey v. Wilson, 
    832 F.2d 950
    , 956
    (6th Cir. 1987) (prison officials’ acts violated prisoner’s due process
    rights and gave rise to § 1983 liability, but punitive damages award was
    improper because there was no evidence that defendants “were acting in bad
    faith” or “harbored any ill will” towards plaintiff); Walters v. City of
    Atlanta, 
    803 F.2d 1135
    , 1147 (11th Cir. 1986) (upholding jury’s finding
    that “defendants were responsible for the racial discrimination” plaintiff
    suffered, but vacating punitive damages award because the record did not
    show that defendants “acted with either the requisite ill will or callous
    disregard   of   [plaintiff’s]   federally   protected   rights”);    Lavicky   v.
    Burnett, 
    758 F.2d 468
    , 477
    -16-
    (10th Cir. 1985) (unlawful search and seizure and taking of
    plaintiff’s property without a hearing gave rise to § 1983 liability, but
    punitive damages award was properly set aside because “there was no
    evidence of malice, wantonness, or oppressiveness”), cert. denied 
    474 U.S. 1101
    (1986); Soderbeck v. Burnett County, 
    752 F.2d 285
    , 289 (7th Cir.)
    (plaintiff’s showing of political dismissal was sufficient for compensatory
    damages, but not punitive damages), cert. denied 
    471 U.S. 1117
    (1985);
    Hernandez-Terado v. Artau, 
    874 F.2d 866
    , 872 (1st Cir. 1989) (same).   After
    reviewing the evidence presented at trial, we hold that Rahija’s conduct
    in this case was not sufficiently egregious to justify the imposition of
    punitive damages.    See Cornell v. 
    Woods, 69 F.3d at 1391
    .   Coleman admits
    that Rahija testified that she relied on, and attempted to follow, the
    University physicians’ instructions in caring for Coleman.     See Brief for
    Appellee at 27, 28 n.12.    While Rahija is liable under § 1983 for her delay
    in treating Coleman, her conduct does not rise to the level calling for
    punishment and deterrence over and above that provided by the compensatory
    award.    See Smith v. 
    Wade, 461 U.S. at 54
    ; see also 
    Stachura, 477 U.S. at 310
    (“Section 1983 presupposes that damages that compensate for actual harm
    ordinarily suffice to deter constitutional violations.”).       The facts of
    this     case illustrate the difference between conduct justifying mere
    liability under the Eighth Amendment and conduct justifying punitive
    damages under § 1983.    Because the district court abused its discretion in
    awarding punitive damages over and above the compensatory award, we vacate
    the punitive damages award.
    III. Conclusion
    Accordingly, the punitive damages award is vacated and the order of
    the district court is affirmed in all other respects.
    -17-
    FLOYD   R.   GIBSON,    Circuit Judge, concurring in part and dissenting
    in part.
    Though I am in full accord with the Court's decision to affirm the
    imposition of compensatory damages against Nurse Ruth Rahija, I cannot
    agree that the district court's award of punitive damages should be
    reversed.    In my view, the rather startling and disturbing facts of this
    case reveal the district court did not commit clear error when it found
    that Rahija acted with "callous indifference to the federally protected
    rights of others."      Smith v. Wade, 
    461 U.S. 30
    , 56 (1983).   Furthermore,
    I believe the district court correctly determined that Nurse Rahija's
    behavior was "simply inexcusable" and of a type that "must be punished in
    an appropriate way so that prison officials recognize the seriousness of
    this lack of action and guard against it in the future."          Coleman v.
    Rahija, No. 4-91-CV-50260, at 24 (S.D. Iowa Jan. 2, 1996); see also 
    Smith, 461 U.S. at 54
    ("The focus is on the character of the tortfeasor's conduct
    -- whether it is of the sort that calls for deterrence and punishment over
    and above that provided by compensatory awards.").         As a result, I am
    unable to conclude that the district court abused its discretion when it
    deemed punitive damages appropriate.        For these reasons, I respectfully
    dissent from that portion of the Court's opinion vacating the district
    court's punitive damages award.
    A true copy.
    Attest:
    CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.
    -18-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 96-1351

Filed Date: 6/5/1997

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 10/13/2015

Authorities (23)

hettie-standley-jana-klein-marilyn-schoppenhorst-dara-kiely-arthur , 5 F.3d 319 ( 1993 )

arline-m-soderbeck-v-burnett-county-wisconsin-robert-kellberg , 752 F.2d 285 ( 1985 )

freddy-wayne-choate-v-al-lockhart-rh-smith-dale-keith-bob-mccool , 7 F.3d 1370 ( 1993 )

ernest-f-walters-v-paul-grossheim-charles-lee-john-sissel-john-thalacker , 990 F.2d 381 ( 1993 )

Estelle v. Gamble , 97 S. Ct. 285 ( 1976 )

Wilson v. Seiter , 111 S. Ct. 2321 ( 1991 )

Farmer v. Brennan , 114 S. Ct. 1970 ( 1994 )

McKinnon v. Kwong Wah Restaurant , 83 F.3d 498 ( 1996 )

Larry Beyerbach v. Hobert Sears, Co II Melvin H. Smith ... , 49 F.3d 1324 ( 1995 )

jon-p-cunningham-dba-the-jag-shop-and-seiler-enterprises-inc-dba-mike , 804 F.2d 1066 ( 1986 )

No. 95-1498 , 73 F.3d 174 ( 1995 )

Edward J. Miller v. Dr. Robert Schoenen and Dr. David White , 75 F.3d 1305 ( 1996 )

david-lavicky-and-cross-appellant-v-bob-burnett-deputy-sheriff-of , 758 F.2d 468 ( 1985 )

Jose A. Hernandez-Tirado v. Mariano Artau, Etc. , 874 F.2d 866 ( 1989 )

robert-a-cornell-appelleecross-appellant-v-charles-woods-harold-kropp , 69 F.3d 1383 ( 1995 )

merlin-c-long-v-crispus-c-nix-sally-chandler-halford-as-director-of-the , 86 F.3d 761 ( 1996 )

tyrone-antonio-johnson-el-arnold-fredrick-hamilton-el-david-scott-hill-el , 878 F.2d 1043 ( 1989 )

Carey v. Piphus , 98 S. Ct. 1042 ( 1978 )

dennis-a-walters-jr-cross-appellant-v-city-of-atlanta-cross-appellee , 803 F.2d 1135 ( 1986 )

Smith v. Wade , 103 S. Ct. 1625 ( 1983 )

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