Kaiser Permanente x-ray imaging, August 12, 2023 — right finger, emergency department
Littleton Steven Irby  ·  Artist  ·  Claimant, OIA Case No. 19137
One patient. No law firm. Three years of arbitration.
Kaiser Permanente imaging  ·  August 12, 2023  ·  Emergency department
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Imaging obtained from Kaiser Permanente medical records  ·  Patient's own records
Abstract painting — pink and lavender arcs

Original work  ·  Littleton Steven Irby

"I kept making things.
Even when everything else was uncertain."

My Story

What began as a finger injury became something else entirely.

In August 2023, I reported a serious finger condition to Kaiser Permanente. What followed — remote diagnosis, delayed specialist care, unanswered follow-ups, grievances, and eventually binding arbitration — changed the course of my work as an artist and my understanding of how healthcare disputes actually get resolved.

"I learned that access to justice in healthcare often depends less on the truth of what happened and more on whether you can afford to prove it."

This site is a public record of that experience — documented carefully, told professionally, and shared because the barriers I encountered are not unique to me.

Abstract painting — soft blue flowing forms Original work  ·  Littleton Steven Irby
Timeline

A factual record — 2023 to present.

Based on medical records, grievance filings, arbitration documents, and written communications.

Aug 2023
Initial finger complaint

Remote diagnosis issued. In-person evaluation not performed at intake. Condition worsened within 48 hours.

Aug 12, 2023
Emergency department visit

Records later documented periostitis, erosive concerns, and inflammatory findings.

Sep 2023
Hepatitis C screening dispute

An undisclosed automated screening order emerged under my chart. Questions about informed consent went unanswered.

Feb–Mar 2024
Formal grievances filed and denied

Kaiser acknowledged receipt and issued a formal denial response.

Jan 2025
Arbitration demand filed — self-represented

OIA Case No. 19137 / JAMS Ref. No. 1110030422. Kaiser retained outside counsel. I filed alone.

2025–Present
Ongoing proceedings and public documentation

Amended demands, demurrers, summary judgment, continued filings — and this website.

AI & Access to Justice

What I built while navigating this alone.

Using AI tools to research, organize, and respond — and what that experience revealed about who gets access to justice in America.

Deadline tracking

Every procedural filing date organized and never missed.

Legal research

Standard of care, causation, California healthcare law.

Document organization

Thousands of pages structured into a coherent record.

Contradiction detection

Inconsistencies flagged across the opposing record.

Abstract painting — electric lines on dark background
Art + Recovery

Making something was the one part that remained entirely mine.

The injury affected my right hand permanently. Arbitration consumed years. Art became part of how I survived it — and how I kept going.

I continued working throughout this process. The constraints changed what I made. Some of that was loss. Some of it became something else.

Mixed media — figures with umbrellas Abstract — teal burst Abstract — golden energy Abstract — pink storm
Why this story matters

Four angles that reach beyond one case.

Lead angle

Can AI help ordinary people survive arbitration?

A middle-aged artist with no law firm, no expert budget, and no institutional backing spent years navigating one of the most procedurally difficult systems in America — using AI tools, public records, and persistence.

Media angle #2

Healthcare arbitration — why most patients never reach the finish line

The structural barriers that end legitimate disputes before merits are heard.

Media angle #3

The hidden cost of expert witnesses

Experts cost thousands. Contingency rarely applies. Many cases die financially, not factually.

Press Contact

Available for interviews, documentary work, and media collaboration.

I speak with journalists, researchers, filmmakers, and policy advocates on healthcare arbitration, AI-assisted self-representation, and the economics of access to justice.

Healthcare arbitration AI + self-representation Expert witness economics Arbitration transparency Artist vs. institution
press@littletonirby.com

Background materials and press FAQ available upon request. Responds within 48 hours.

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