Jury Awards Iowa Woman $19.8M in Mayo Clinic Malpractice Case

Jury Awards Iowa Woman $19.8M in Mayo Clinic Malpractice Case

by | Dec 9, 2025 | News

KROC – AM | November 26, 2025

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) – An Olmsted County jury has awarded an Iowa woman nearly $20 million in damages in a medical malpractice case against Mayo Clinic.

The verdict in favor of Linette and Daniel Nelson of Fort Dodge, Iowa, was reached this week following a trial in Rochester. The couple filed the negligence lawsuit against Mayo Clinic and a former Mayo Clinic surgeon in January 2022, seeking damages stemming from Linette’s treatment in Rochester in 2017 and 2018.

Details of the Malpractice Allegations

The lawsuit claimed that Nelson was under the care of Dr. Amy Lightner, who recommended a series of three surgeries involving her digestive tract. The second operation involved the removal of Nelson’s rectum, and the lawsuit claimed that Lightner failed to remove it entirely. It was also alleged that the doctor advised Nelson that medical imaging showing a portion of her rectum was still intact was incorrect and told her it was safe to proceed with the final surgery.

Following the third operation, Nelson reported feeling pain and pressure and stated that she conveyed that information to Mayo Clinic on multiple occasions. According to the lawsuit, Nelson was scheduled to meet with Dr. Lightner in October 2018 regarding her ongoing health problems but was informed that “Lightner was gone and they were not sure if she would be back.” She was also told that her case was being taken over by another physician.

Jury Reaches Multimillion-Dollar Verdict

Ultimately, the lawsuit says Nelson underwent another series of operations at Mayo Clinic in an effort to correct the problems with her digestive organs. The lawsuit claimed that negligent care by Lightner caused Nelson to “suffer numerous other medical issues and problems, including severe scarring and disfigurement, pelvic floor disorder, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other medical complications.”

Read the entire article at KROC – AM.

Jury awards Iowa woman $19.8 million for “botched” Mayo Clinic surgery

Jury awards Iowa woman $19.8 million for “botched” Mayo Clinic surgery

by | Dec 9, 2025 | News

Stephen Swanson | CBS NEWS | November 26, 2025

A jury has awarded an Iowa woman a $19.8 million verdict against Mayo Clinic and a colorectal surgeon in a lawsuit brought in Minnesota courts, according to her attorneys.

The Iowa-based Hixson & Brown Law Firm represented patient Linette Nelson, of Fort Dodge, Iowa. They alleged in a June 2018 procedure — the second in a series of three surgeries — Dr. Amy Lightner was supposed to move her entire rectum, but “botched a multi-stage operation” and “left 5-7 cm of diseased rectum inside her body.”

The suit alleged Lightner dismissed a CT scan that showed “a long rectal cuff” remained inside Nelson and “pushed ahead with the third surgery anyway,” according to attorneys.

A month later, Nelson was informed by Mayo that Lightner “is gone and we’re not sure if she’ll be back,” according to the law firm. The chief of colorectal surgery for Mayo, Dr. David Larson, then examined her and determined the surgeries needed to be redone, a process that took more than a year to complete.

The firm said the actions of Lightner, who now works in California, “left [Nelson] with permanent disfigurement, pelvic floor disorder, fibromyalgia, PTSD, and lifelong chronic pain.”

Court records show the verdict includes $3.7 million for pain and emotional distress, with another $12.1 million for her future emotional distress. The law firm said the monetary award for Nelson, a mother of two, “is expected to exceed $27 million” when adding in interest.

“The jury’s verdict speaks truth and justice: world-class reputations don’t excuse life-altering medical negligence,” said attorney LaMar Jost. “This verdict is a step toward accountability for a wife and mother who will suffer for the rest of her life because of medical negligence.”

A Mayo Clinic spokesperson gave this statement to WCCO on Wednesday morning: “Mayo Clinic respects the jury’s time and the judicial process, but is disappointed in the verdict. The organization will evaluate next steps while remaining steadfast in its commitment to providing the highest standards of care and patient outcomes.”

U.S. News and World Report recently named Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as one of the best hospitals in the country, and also named it the best hospital for diabetes, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and GI surgery.

Aki Nace and WCCO Staff contributed to this report.

Read the entire article at CBS NEWS.

Jury awards nearly $20 million for ‘botched’ Mayo surgery

Jury awards nearly $20 million for ‘botched’ Mayo surgery

by | Dec 3, 2025 | News

Jeremy Olson | The Minnesota Star Tribune | November 26, 2025
An Olmsted County jury awarded $19.8 million to an Iowa mother who suffered abdominal disfigurement and ongoing pain after a “botched” surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, a law firm announced Wednesday.
Attorneys representing Linette Nelson said the judgment compensates for a string of mistakes at Mayo, which started in 2018 during a complex, three-stage colorectal procedure when Dr. Amy Lightner left diseased tissue inside her patient.
Nelson, a mother of two who lives in Fort Dodge, Iowa, faces a lifetime of medical monitoring and possibly more corrective surgeries as a result of the error, her attorneys said.
“World-class reputations don’t excuse life-altering medical negligence,” said LaMar Jost, one of Nelson’s attorneys at the Hixson & Brown Law Firm in West Des Moines.
The lead surgeon in the case has left Mayo and now practices in California. A statement from a Mayo spokesperson said the health system’s leaders are “disappointed in the verdict. The organization will evaluate next steps while remaining steadfast in its commitment to providing the highest standards of care and patient outcomes.”
The size of the award was unusual but not unprecedented. A Wisconsin jury awarded more than $13 million in 2023 to a woman who suffered a stroke during a cardiac procedure at the Mayo Clinic Health System hospital in Eau Claire.
The record medical malpractice verdict in Minnesota occurred in 2022, when a federal jury awarded $110 million for negligent care by an orthopedic practice in St. Paul to a patient who suffered a soccer injury. A judge later reduced that award to $10 million.
Monday’s verdict followed a nine-day jury trial over the treatment of Nelson, who sought surgery at Mayo because other treatments had failed to address ulcerative colitis — an inflammation that causes pain and digestive problems.
The surgery, in three stages, was supposed to remove diseased sections of Nelson’s intestine and rectum, create a temporary lower digestive tract while she healed, and then finally stitch together the remaining healthy sections of her colon.
Problems emerged when more than 5 centimeters of diseased tissue were left behind during the second procedure, and then when Lightner overlooked imaging data about the error and pressed on with the third procedure, court records show.
Another doctor had to redo the entire surgery, which was complicated by the damage from the first attempt, according to Nelson’s attorneys.

Read the entire article at The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Iowa woman awarded nearly $20M in Mayo Clinic malpractice case

Iowa woman awarded nearly $20M in Mayo Clinic malpractice case

by | Dec 3, 2025 | News

KAALTV | November 27, 2025

(ABC 6 News) – An Iowa woman was awarded nearly $19 million in damages in a medical malpractice suit against Mayo Clinic Rochester.

According to court documents, Fort Dodge, IA resident Linette Nelson accused former Mayo doctor Amy Lightner and Mayo Clinic of botching two several surgeries in 2017 and 2018.

According to court documents, instead of a planned three surgeries, Nelson required five in total — two of which were by a new physician, after Nelson complained of significant pain and issues and Lightner left Mayo.

Court documents further alleged that Lightner had been negligent in telling Nelson that images showing Lightner’s failure to complete the first surgery were incorrect, and that Lightner ignored information or refused to perform exams that would have shown the problems to be real.

Lightner no longer works at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus.

On Nov. 24, a jury provided Linette Nelson with $15.8 million in compensation, and her spouse, Daniel Nelson, with $4 million.

Read the entire article at ABC 6 News

Charles Buist

Charles Buist

by | Oct 13, 2025 | Spetsas Buist

Charles Buist

Charles Buist | TL4J
BAR ADMISSIONS

Florida
Georgia
North Carolina
South Carolina
 

EDUCATION

University of South Carolina
– Juris Doctor (cum laude)

Vermont Law School,
– Master of Environmental Law and Policy (magna cum laude)

University of South Carolina
– Master of Business Administration

College of Charleston
– Bachelor of Science

Bio

Charles Buist

Every person has a story. From the day we’re born, we begin writing that story, chapter by chapter. None of us knows how the next chapters will unfold, but we all share the same hopes: good health, family, and the chance to pursue our dreams.

But what happens when everything changes in an instant? What if an accident, injury, or act of negligence turns your world upside down and forces you to start a chapter you never planned to write?

For many people, that’s the reality after a devastating personal injury. Lives are forever altered by events outside of their control. Blue skies become storms, optimism turns to fear, and the life they knew vanishes overnight.

That’s when people call us. And for us, it’s an honor to be the law firm people trust when life feels impossible. We take that responsibility seriously, and we approach every case guided by three core values:

1. Excellence

We approach every case with the determination to deliver the best possible results. We do not do things halfway. We do them right. Our legal team prepares each case with precision, strategy, and a winning mindset. We are not here to participate; we are here to win for our clients.

2. Empathy

Behind every case is a real person with a real story. We treat every client with dignity and respect, and we take the time to listen. While we may handle many cases, each client has only one, and it matters deeply to them. Our attorneys build personal relationships with every client because understanding their story helps us tell it powerfully in court.

3. Evolution

We believe in continuous improvement. Our firm constantly learns, adapts, and evolves. Whether it is embracing new technologies, refining trial strategies, or investing in professional growth, we are always moving forward. Growth is not optional; it is our duty to our clients.

Our mission is simple: to build lasting relationships with every client we serve. Every decision, every strategy, and every courtroom appearance is made with one goal in mind: to protect our clients’ stories and help them rebuild their futures.