Medical Negligence

A Pensacola teenager who said she received unnecessary gynecologic surgery that led to complications was awarded $750,000 by a jury Friday.

The Escambia Circuit Court jury found Dr. Lornetta Epps, a gynecologist, negligent in her care of Amber Nail, who was 14 at the time of the 1993 surgery. The same five-woman, one-man panel exonerated Dr. James Boyd, a surgeon who repaired a complication.

Pensacola lawyers Bill Rankin and Marcus Michles, who represented Nail, successfully argued that Epps never should have performed the laparoscopy, a scope-type procedure.

Boyd was called in during the procedure to repair a vein that Epps punctured.

He was added to the suit after Nail alleged he failed to inspect her bowel in which another puncture was subsequently discovered.

However, Frank Bozeman, Boyd’s lawyer, successfully argued that Epps had packed the bowel out of sight before Boyd entered the operation, and it was her responsibility to check it for injuries or ask him to.

Dr. Peter Courcy repaired the bowel injury a week later. Four more surgical procedures subsequently were required.