Jury Awards $17 Million to Woman Whose Bladder Was Mistakenly Removed During Routine Surgery

Two of Maine's leading medical malpractice attorneys secure verdict in catastrophic surgical error case.

LEWISTON, Maine, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Kennebec County jury awarded $17 million on July 23, 2026, to Emily Mitchell, whose bladder was mistakenly removed during what was intended to be routine surgery to remove a benign ovarian cyst. The verdict follows a two-week medical malpractice trial against Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health and includes damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent injury. Mitchell was represented by Travis M. Brennan and Susan A. Faunce of Berman & Simmons, two of Maine's leading medical malpractice attorneys.

The case arose from a March 1, 2023, laparoscopic procedure performed to remove a benign ovarian cyst after imaging showed it had increased significantly in size. According to evidence presented at trial, what began as a routine gynecologic surgery resulted in one of the most devastating surgical errors imaginable.

Following the procedure, Emily's condition worsened, and she was transferred to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for emergency surgery. There, surgeons discovered that her bladder had been mistakenly removed during the original operation. Pathology confirmed that the tissue removed during the procedure consisted of full-thickness bladder tissue, and surgeons determined there was insufficient healthy bladder tissue remaining to reconstruct or repair the organ.

For more than eight months, Emily relied on bilateral nephrostomy tubes to drain urine directly from her kidneys while enduring recurrent urinary tract infections, kidney infections, multiple medical procedures, and ongoing complications. She was eventually referred to Massachusetts, where surgeons performed a complex reconstructive surgery using a portion of her small intestine to create a neobladder.

Today, Emily continues to live with the permanent effects of those injuries. She requires self-catheterization multiple times each day, ongoing medical treatment, and continued care from specialists related to the loss of her bladder.

After hearing the evidence, the jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health liable and awarded $17 million in damages for past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and permanent impairment.

"For our clients, this isn't just a legal victory—it's the closure they've needed for a long time. They can finally begin to move forward, knowing that what happened to them was seen, heard, and acknowledged. This verdict won't undo the pain our clients have endured, but it does offer something they haven't had in a long time: closure. They can finally put this chapter behind them."

— Susan A. Faunce

"Our clients have waited a long time for this measure of justice, and today the jury delivered it."

— Travis M. Brennan

The verdict is the largest medical malpractice verdict in Kennebec County.

About Berman & Simmons

Berman & Simmons is Maine's leading personal injury and medical malpractice law firm, representing clients throughout all 16 of Maine's counties. With 12 attorneys and more than 40 legal professionals, the firm has recovered more than $1.5 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured plaintiffs. Ranked by Best Lawyers among the "Best Law Firms" in the United States, Berman & Simmons is widely recognized for handling some of Maine's most complex and catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases. The firm maintains offices in Lewiston, Portland, Biddeford, and Bangor, Maine.

Christen Graham
207-838-0082
[email protected]

SOURCE Berman & Simmons, P.A.