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An inmate whose transplanted kidney began to fail while he was in prison can continue with his lawsuit against medical professionals, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Berle Schiller of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania allowed several of plaintiff Michael Robinson's claims to move forward against doctors Robin Clemons and Bruce Blatt, and several nurses and physicians' assistants.

Robinson claimed that he received inadequate care while at the Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility, including a failure to prescribe anti-rejection medication to maintain his kidney health. Robinson had received a transplant four years before his 2015 incarceration, according to the decision.

“Robinson brings Fourteenth Amendment claims against all defendants, claiming that they acted with deliberate indifference toward his serious medical needs while he was a pretrial detainee at CFCF,” Schiller said. “None of the moving defendants contest that they are state actors or that Robinson's medical needs were serious, but they all contend that Robinson has failed to adduce evidence that they acted with deliberate indifference in their medical treatment. The court agrees with respect to all moving defendants except Dr. Robin Clemons.”

Clemons argued she was entitled to summary judgment because there was no evidence to support the claim that she intentionally refused medication to Robinson. She claimed she was merely waiting for Robinson's medical records before prescribing medication. Robinson claimed she denied him treatment for “non-medical reasons,” according to Schiller.

“The court believes there is sufficient evidence in the record to construe Robinson's claim against Clemons as one for a delay of medical treatment without a medical basis. When Dr. Clemons saw Robinson on August 30, she understood that he was a kidney transplant patient and knew daily medication was necessary to prevent rejection. Moreover, she understood that Robinson had a regimen of medications he was prescribed, and she knew the names of at least two medications he reported he took,” Schiller said.

While the constitutional claims were dismissed for Blatt when Schiller granted his motion for partial summary judgment, he still faces negligence claims. Schiller added that Robinson had also demonstrated that issues of material fact remain regarding the negligence and medical malpractice claims against the medical support team.

Robinson is represented by Barry Magen of Kline & Specter, who did not respond to a request for comment.

Clemons is represented by Lawrence Jackson of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, who also did not respond to a request for comment.

Neither did Blatt's attorney, William Banton of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin.