A Cook County jury awarded a nearly $1.6 million verdict in favor of a woman who suffered nerve injury following reconstructive surgery in 2007.

Don M. Sowers, Jr. and John C. Coyne represented the woman, Catalina Merchan, in her medical malpractice claim against Robert Lai, M.D.

In June 2007, Lai, while acting as an employee of Northwest Urology and Uropartners, performed a vaginal prolapse reconstruction procedure on Merchan.

They said the procedure was supposed to require a 23-hour hospitalization, but that their client remained inGottliebHospitalfor 11 days until her family terminated Dr. Lai’s care.

Merchan claims Dr. Lai did not diagnose that her pain and suffering were caused by a suture from the June 2007 procedure.

After she was discharged, Merchan sought a second opinion form another urologist, who found and removed the suture, resolving many of her nerve injury symptoms, her attorneys said.

They say Merchan has a limp, occasionally has to use a cane and experienced the loss of a normal life as a result of Lai’s care.  Judge Thomas E. Flanagan presided over the jury trial and entered judgment against the defendants.