Jury Awards $17 Million to Woman After Retained Surgical Instrument Incident at Presbyterian Hospital
Albuquerque, NM — A New Mexico jury has awarded almost $17 million to a woman after she unknowingly lived with a 13-inch metal retractor in her abdomen for two months following a surgical procedure performed at Presbyterian Hospital in 2019. This decision includes one of the state’s largest punitive damages in recent medical malpractice judgements, posing serious questions about surgical safety protocols. The substantial award handed down includes $15 million aimed to punish Presbyterian Healthcare Services, the state’s most extensive healthcare network, for this severe oversight. Additionally, the plaintiff, Michelle Torma, received $1.75 million in … Read more