Brown v. Adamson — 9th Cir. (Sep 15, 2026)
The Ninth Circuit hears an appeal in Jason Brown's lawsuit against two Nevada prison doctors. In 2018, Brown was hit in the face by a softball while incarcerated. He received treatment, including surgery, but says he continued to suffer symptoms and did not get timely specialist care. Brown sued Doctors Kim Adamson and Dana Marks, alleging deliberate indifference to serious medical needs under the Eighth Amendment. The district judge allowed that claim to proceed and denied the doctors qualified immunity. That doctrine shields government officials from damages unless they violated a clearly established right. The doctors will argue that neither personally violated such a right; Brown will say that longstanding precedent required referral when prison doctors could not treat him adequately. The judges also ask how the Supreme Court's recent Zorn ruling affects that dispute.
Brown v. Adamson (No. 25-730) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued September 15, 2026.
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