Jury awards $870,000 to man who had wrong testicle removed
HUNTINGDON (AP) – A Pennsylvania jury has awarded $870,000 to a man who had the wrong testicle removed by his urologist.
Fifty-four-year-old Steven Haines sued Dr. V. Spencer Long, who Haines went to see in 2013 after suffering pain in his right testicle for 15 years. The urologist opted to remove the testicle at J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital in Huntingdon, but instead removed Haines’ healthy left testicle.
A Huntingdon County jury found Long was “recklessly indifferent” and awarded Haines $620,000 for pain and suffering and $250,000 in punitive damages.
Long declined to comment Friday.
Haines’ lawyer says the Mount Union man remains in pain, but has a “debilitating fear” of seeking further treatment for his problem. The attorney says Haines will need testosterone treatment for the rest of his life if he loses the remaining testicle.