SBH Partners Jenny Blake and Samantha D'Anna Defend Plastic Surgeon

SBH partners Jenny Blake and Samantha D’Anna secured a trial victory on behalf of their clients, a plastic surgeon and his practice. The plaintiff, a 45-year-old woman, claimed the surgeon directly injured one or both of her sural nerves during bilateral calf and ankle liposuction, resulting in Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and permanent disability.  The plaintiff also claimed she was not informed of the risk of direct nerve injury during the procedure.  The defense argued there was no evidence or symptoms to suggest a direct nerve injury and denied the surgeon was required to inform the plaintiff of the risk that the sural nerve could be directly and permanently injured during the procedure, which is not a risk of calf and ankle liposuction.  The defense was able to demonstrate the plaintiff suffered from pre-existing and post-operative swelling which led to a bilateral sural nerve injury and her current condition/disability.  The plaintiff asked the jury to award $11,638,056, which included a life care plan of over $4.2 million dollars and $6.5 million in non-economic damages.  The jury returned a decisive verdict in favor of the plastic surgeon and his group, after less than 1 hour and 15 minutes of deliberations. The case was tried in Winnebago County Circuit Court before the Honorable Judge Lisa R. Fabiano.