Overview
- A Kennebec County jury returned the $17 million verdict on Thursday after a two-week trial that found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health liable for the error.
- The case began with a March 1, 2023 laparoscopic procedure intended to remove a benign ovarian cyst in which surgeons later concluded full-thickness bladder tissue was removed instead of the cyst.
- Emergency surgeons at Eastern Maine Medical Center and pathology reports showed too little healthy bladder remained to repair, leading to more than eight months with nephrostomy tubes and a later neobladder reconstruction using a segment of small intestine.
- The award covers past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment, and includes a $1.25 million spousal loss-of-companionship component reported by counsel.
- This verdict is the largest malpractice award in Kennebec County and is the latest of several 2026 jury awards against Northern Light Health that together top $47 million and could have financial and reputational consequences for the regional system.