Estelle v. Gamble

429 U.S. 97 (1976)

From our private database of 46,500+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Estelle v. Gamble

United States Supreme Court
429 U.S. 97 (1976)

  • Written by Haley Gintis, JD
Play video

Facts

During J. W. Gamble’s (plaintiff) imprisonment he was injured and began to experience back pain. In a three-month period, Gamble saw medical personnel 17 times for his back pain, high blood pressure, and heart problems. The doctors diagnosed Gamble with a lower-back strain. Gamble was told to treat the pain with bed rest and was given muscle relaxants and pain relievers. Gamble felt that the doctors’ diagnosis and treatment for his back pain was not adequate. Gamble filed a cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that his right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution had been violated. Gamble’s complaint was dismissed in district court. The court of appeals reversed and remanded the dismissal. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Marshall, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 832,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,500 briefs - keyed to 994 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership