Civil Rights-Prison Inmate-Eighth Amendment Violation-Failure to Exhaust Administrative Remedies

Plaintiff, a state prison inmate, appealed the dismissal and adverse summary judgment of his claims alleging violations of the Eighth Amendment. Plaintiff dislocated a finger while playing basketball. Medical staff placed plaintiff in a splint and ordered an x-ray. Plaintiff submitted an emergency grievance alleging he was still in pain. The x-ray revealed some trauma but no fracture. Staff were unable to realign the finger, and plaintiff ultimately underwent a surgical reset. Prison staff denied plaintiff’s grievance, concluding that there was no delay in treatment.  

Where plaintiff’s grievances failed to name specific medical staff members for alleged incidents of deficient care, he had not exhausted his administrative remedies against him, and the record showed that staff rendered reasonable treatment in attempting to realign plaintiff’s finger.  

Judgment is affirmed. 

Na’im v. Beck (MLW No. 84630/Case No. 24-2711 – 9 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, Colloton, J.) Appealed from U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, Wilson, J. (Beverly Lobo, law student, St. Louis, MO for appellant; Steven J. Alagna, St. Louis, MO; Shawn Podowski, law student, St. Louis, MO; Carleton Plourde, law student, St. Louis, MO; and Nareh Derhartounian, law student, St. Louis, MO on the brief) (Rex M. Terry, Fort Smith, AR for appellees; Kynda Almefty, Little Rock, AR on the brief)