What is Objectively Unreasonable Healthcare? Has the Implementation of Kingsley v. Hendrickson Caused an Unworkable Standard for Evaluating a Healthcare Professional’s Medical Decision- Making Under Section 1983?

Healthcare providers practicing in jails and detention facilities face a markedly different legal standard than those in traditional medical malpractice cases, with their conduct judged under an “objective unreasonableness” test rather than professional standards of care supported by expert testimony. Following Kingsley and the Seventh Circuit’s decision in Miranda, courts evaluating §1983 claims by pretrial detainees may impose constitutional liability for medical decisions without requiring proof of deliberate indifference or deviation from accepted medical practice. This shift raises serious concerns that ordinary medical negligence may be improperly transformed into constitutional violations, exposing correctional healthcare providers to heightened and uncertain liability.