A Minnesota jury awarded $9.1 million to a man who sued an anesthesiologist after suffering paralysis and spinal cord damage following a 2012 surgery.

J. Lakoskey, a former auto mechanic, argued that an anesthesiologist let him go into surgery while dangerously dehydrated at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. The surgery was to repair a perforated bowel.

Lakoskey, 51, of Minneapolis, went to the hospital in 2012 with flu-like symptoms. He was given fluids for dehydration until the doctors discovered the bowel injury and recommended surgery.

His Blood Pressure Dropped, Injuring Spinal Cord

According to his attorney, an hour before surgery the fluids for dehydration were stopped and he was started on anesthesia, causing a drop in blood pressure and inadequate blood flow to his spinal cord.

The attorneys for the defendant, Anesthesiology P.A., a private practice that contracts with the hospital, denied wrongdoing.

In a statement, Lakoskey's attorney said that his client wants nothing more than to have his life and ability to walk back. Adding that the verdict will provide Lakoskey with the resources necessary to live as independently as possible.

The Star Tribune reported that the National Practitioner Data Bank has only two larger awards listed since 1990 involving Minnesota medical practitioners. The first was a settlement for $22 million for inadequate monitoring by a nurse in 2000, and the second was an $11 million settlement for a catastrophic birth injury involving an infant.

Settlement Will Allow Him to Resume Therapy

The mechanic tried to continue working after he lost the use of his legs, but he eventually sold the business. He said that intensive therapy helped him gain some mobility back in his legs until the grant and insurance money ran dry.

He said that he hopes the settlement will allow him to resume therapy and replace his broken-down wheelchair.

Looking for a medical malpractice lawyer? Scroll through our directory to find one near you!