Robert Cooper Successfully Defended General Surgeon

Robert E. Cooper, partner at Christian & Small, LLP, Birmingham, AL, successfully defended a general surgeon in southeast Alabama. The plaintiff sustained a transsection of the common bile duct during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In jury to the common bile duct is a recognized potential complication of the procedure and the case was defended on the standard of care. The treatment following the initial surgery was complex and involved a hepaticojejunostony and repeat percutaneous stent placement. The Plaintiff claimed in excess of $400,000 in past medical expenses and $350,000 in lost wages due to permanent disability. Her husband also made a claim for loss of consortium. After four days of trial the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the surgeon.