A St. Clair County jury awarded a patient $600,000 in a suit alleging she suffered permanent injuries following a bilateral breast reduction surgery.
On April 25, plaintiff Senayet Nigeda was awarded $100,000 for medical expenses, $250,000 for disfigurement resulting from injury, $100,000 for pain and suffering, and $150,000 for loss of a normal life.
St. Clair County Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson presided over the trial.
Nigeda, 32, was represented by Keith Short and Jack Daugherty of Short and Daugherty PC in Alton.
Defendants David S. Reid and HSHS Medical Group Inc. were represented by Kenneth M. Burke of Brown & James PC in Belleville.
Nigeda filed her original complaint on June 6, 2014 against Reid and HSHS Medical Group.
She filed a first amended complaint during the trial on April 24.
According to her complaint, Nigeda was admitted to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville on July 23, 2012 with the preoperative principal diagnosis of bilateral symptomatic macromastia. Reid performed a surgical bilateral breast reduction, allegedly resulting in permanent injury. Nigeda claimed her medical history included a bilateral reduction mammoplasty in May 2004 and a history of Lupus, creating complications.
Nigeda alleged Reid negligently performed a surgery that was not medically recommended given the plaintiff’s medical history and failed to recognize the plaintiff’s heightened risk for infection, Lupus and diminished blood supply in her breast when he performed surgery. She also alleged Reid failed to perform a timely post-surgical evaluation and failed to evaluate Nigeda’s surgical wound.
The suit stated that Reid failed to diagnose and treat post-surgical complications, including infections and diminished blood supply, and failed to inform Nigeda that she was at heightened risk for necrotic tissue development due to diminished blood supply to the breast.
Nigeda claimed Reid then performed an in-office surgical debridement on Aug. 14, 2012 without proper anesthetics.
Nigeda alleged she suffered severe emotional and mental anguish, sustained permanent disfigurement and incurred medical bills in a sum of $99,944.92.
According to the defendants’ statement of the case, they denied they were negligent. They further denied that any claimed act or omission on their part was the cause of Nigeda’s claimed injuries and damages. They also denied that the plaintiff sustained damages to the extent claimed.
According to the plaintiff's statement of the case, she had just completed her first year of pharmacy school at the time of the alleged incident. She is currently employed as a pharmacist.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 14-L-485