An Iowa woman won her case against Mayo Clinic and a colorectal surgeon and got $19.8 million. She brought her lawsuit to Minnesota courts as her attorneys mentioned. As reported by CBS News, “The Iowa-based Hixson & Brown Law Firm represented patient Linette Nelson, of Fort Dodge, Iowa. They alleged in a June 2018 procedure — the second in a series of three surgeries — Dr. Amy Lightner was supposed to move her entire rectum, but ‘botched a multi-stage operation’ and ‘left 5-7 cm of diseased rectum inside her body.’”
The suit further alleged that Lightner did not pay heed to a CT scan that showed “a long rectal cuff” inside Nelson’s body and went “ahead with the third surgery anyway.” After a month of this surgery, Mayo Clinic informed Nelson that Lightner was no longer at the clinic and they couldn’t say when she would return.
After this, the chief of colorectal surgery for Mayo, Dr. David Larson, reviewed Nelson’s condition and concluded the procedures had to be repeated. This process took more than a year. The lawsuit alleged that Lightner “left [Nelson] with permanent disfigurement, pelvic floor disorder, fibromyalgia, PTSD, and lifelong chronic pain.”
According to court records, the verdict includes “$3.7 million for pain and emotional distress, with another $12.1 million for her future emotional distress” as reported by CBS News. The law firm representing Nelson further stated that with added interest, Nelson, a mother of two, would receive around $27 million.
Attorney LaMar Jost spoke highly of the verdict, saying, “The jury’s verdict speaks truth and justice: world-class reputations don’t excuse life-altering medical negligence. This verdict is a step toward accountability for a wife and mother who will suffer for the rest of her life because of medical negligence.”
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It is important to note here that Mayo Clinic has recently been named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top hospitals of the country and has been certified as the best in the field of diabetes, endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery.
Mayo Clinic also gave a statement to WCCO, saying, “Mayo Clinic respects the jury’s time and the judicial process but is disappointed in the verdict. The organization will evaluate next steps while remaining steadfast in its commitment to providing the highest standards of care and patient outcomes.”
While the financial help would definitely help Nelson to move forward in life, what she went through remains unacceptable. Like the lawsuit mentioned, she has been suffering from PTSD and chronic pain, things that even the money she got would not be able to completely erase off.
It is therefore extremely important to choose doctors carefully and only after thorough research. One bad surgery can ruin one’s life and even have fatal consequences.
