Source: nwi.com
HAMMOND | A Lake County Superior Court jury deliberated nearly nine hours Friday before awarding Steven Sangster $3 million in a medical malpractice suit. Sangster, 30, filed against orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Oni and anesthesiologist Dr. James Kim whose medical actions left Sangster with brain damage. After four days of testimony and a day of deliberations, the seven-member jury found the physicians negligent.

On July 12, 1996, Sangster, then 19, underwent spinal surgery by Oni at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary, for the correction of congenital scoliosis or curvature of his spine, the release stated. About three hours into the surgery, the anesthesiologist informed Oni that some of the patient’s monitoring equipment had malfunctioned, but Oni chose to continue the surgery. An hour later, Sangster went into cardiac arrest and a coma. Later, he was diagnosed with permanent brain damage due to lack of oxygen during the surgery, Kopack said in the statement. In 2001, a medical review panel of three doctors ruled that Oni and Kim had breached the standard of care during surgery and caused Sangster to suffer injuries.