Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Over Gallbladder Surgery Errors Results in $2M Verdict

A Pennsylvania woman who suffered a bile duct injury during a botched gallbladder surgery has been awarded $2 million in damages due to the medical mistake.

Following a three day trial in Pittsburgh, a jury ordered Dr. Charles N, Lebovitz to compensate Denise Westwood for problems following her gallbladder removal in May 2013, according to a report in The Legal Intelligencer.

Westwood was undergoing gallbladder removal when her bile duct was injured, leaking bile into her body and resulting in permanent damage to her biliary system and liver. As a result, she has suffered multiple hernias, had to undergo medical treatment and is likely to need additional corrective surgeries, the lawsuit claimed.

The resulting injuries cost Westwood her job as a nurse’s aide, after she was declared unable to lift more than 10 pounds. The weight restrictions came following hernia repair surgery in October 2015, which the lawsuit indicated was needed due to the injuries caused during the gallbladder surgery.

The medical malpractice lawsuit claimed that Lebovitz failed to follow proper medical procedures, moving too quickly and trying to take shortcuts during the surgery, and refused to take responsibility for the damage. The jury agreed, finding

The jury agreed, determining that Lebovitz was negligent and awarding Westwood $750,000 for past noneconomic damages, as well as $1.25 million for future noneconomic losses.