Texas Jury Orders Kelsey-Seybold to Pay $1.9 Million for "Secret" Surgeon

Texas Jury Orders Kelsey-Seybold to Pay $1.9 Million for "Secret" Surgeon
Attorneys Randy Sorrels and Chelsie King Garza of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend recently received a $1.9 million verdict from a Texas jury for a medical malpractice client.


HOUSTON, TX, January 24, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Friday, January 20, 2012, a Harris County jury ordered Kelsey-Seybold Medical Clinic, PLLC, and its employee, Jim Patrick Benge, MD, to pay $1.9 million for permanently injuring Lauren Williams for her past and future damages, including a lifetime of colostomy care and medications.


In August 2008, Ms. Williams had a hysterectomy understanding that Dr. Benge would be her surgeon. After she went under anesthesia, a resident came in and performed at least 50 percent of the surgery without the patient's knowledge. This was the first time the resident had performed the procedure. "The jury rejected Kelsey Seybold's position that an unknown resident can perform surgery on a patient without full disclosure to the patient," said Williams' attorney Randall O. Sorrels.


During that August 2008 surgery, two of Ms. Williams' organs, including her bowel, were perforated. The injuries were not discovered until three days later at which point Ms. Williams was septic and her injuries were irreversible. Ms. Williams spent three weeks in a coma as a result, and thereafter spent months re-learning to walk, talk and care for herself. Ms. Williams now lives with a permanent colostomy and testimony was presented that she will be an intestinal cripple as she grows older, due to the dense internal adhesions resulting from gastrointestinal damage. She has undergone five major surgeries following the August 26, 2008 procedure.


Dr. Benge, his colleague Dr. Thornton (a co-defendant who was not found liable for her role in Ms. Williams' post-operative care), and the experts for Kelsey-Seybold offered testimony that a patient does not have the right to know when a resident would be operating on them or cutting inside their bodies. By virtue of this medical malpractice verdict, a Harris County jury has rejected this as the standard of care. "When a doctor agrees to perform surgery on a patient, it should be that surgeon who operates, unless the patient agrees otherwise," said Williams' lawyer Chelsie King Garza.


For further information, please contact attorney Randall O. Sorrels or attorney Chelsie King Garza by calling 713-222-7211 or via email at rsorrels@abrahamwatkins.com and cgarza@abrahamwatkins.com. Ms. Williams is available for comment upon request.


Attorneys Randall O. Sorrels and Chelsie King Garza are attorneys at the Houston law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend. Since 1951, the firm has advocated for the rights of thousands of catastrophically injured clients in cases involving car and truck accidents, work-related injuries, medical malpractice, defective products, aviation accidents and other types of personal injury matters. For more information on the firm, visit their website at www.abrahamwatkins.com.

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