ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – A jury in the Chemung County Supreme Court has reached a $5 million verdict against Arnot Ogden Medical Center for a 2017 procedure that left one man with “serious medical problems”.

Ziff Law Firm announced the verdict on October 6, saying the “jury found Gary Mann, M.D. liable for causing catastrophic injuries to a patient” in 2017 during a gallbladder surgery. Mann now works at Roswell Park in Buffalo.

The announcement explained that the patient had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in August 2017 because of gallstones. Mann injured the patient’s bile ducts, causing the patient to be taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester “for a complex repair procedure”, the announcement said.

Since 2017, the patient has reportedly gone back to the hospital multiple times for surgery and “other serious complications”.

“This case was intensely litigated for the past five years. Throughout that time Arnot Ogden Medical Center never expressed any interest in resolving it,” said Christina Sonsire, a partner at Ziff who represented the patient and their spouse. “Unfortunately, my client will likely continue to suffer serious medical problems related to his injury for the rest of his life.”

In response to the announcement, Arnot Health issued the following statement:

Arnot Ogden Medical Center is disappointed with the verdict and maintains that the care and treatment rendered by its former surgeon, Dr. Gary Mann, was appropriate and consistent with the standard of care despite the patient suffering an unfortunate complication during the gallbladder surgery in August of 2017. The lengthy litigation process reflects the opposing views of the parties throughout the case. The hospital appreciates the efforts by the jury members in weighing the evidence and coming to its conclusion. The hospital is, nonetheless, reviewing its legal rights in response to the jury’s verdict.

Arnot Health