Technology and Science29 September, 20263 min read
Sharon Jacks Sues Selby General Hospital After Wrong Leg Amputation in Marietta, Ohio
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Sharon Jacks sues Selby General Hospital alleging wrong-leg amputation during September 2025 surgery. Left leg was amputated instead of the planned right leg, making her a double amputee.
Wrong-leg amputation lawsuit
Sharon Jacks, 74, sued Selby General Hospital in Marietta, Ohio, after her surgeon allegedly amputated the wrong leg during a below-the-knee amputation scheduled for Sept. 19, 2025.
Brad Layne said, "She went into surgery, and when she woke up, the wrong leg had been taken off," and he added that the leg originally supposed to be amputated was later cut off as well.
Jacks filed the lawsuit this month in Washington County Common Pleas Court in Marietta, Ohio, naming nine defendants including the hospital and Jacks' medical and surgical teams.
The lawsuit accuses the surgical team of gross negligence, battery and reckless conduct, and it alleges the operation was recommended as part of a treatment plan for squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
The hospital confirmed an "avoidable event" happened in September 2025, and it said it retrained all of its surgical staff after the surgery and that those involved in Jacks' operation "are no longer in their positions."
Time-outs and consent
Brad Layne said medical records he reviewed indicate the surgeon initially marked the correct leg, but the wrong leg was still amputated, and he said, "The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off." The surgical team conducted two "time-outs" before the procedure to confirm the patient27s identity, the planned operation and the correct surgical site before an incision was made. Jacks consented only to surgery involving her right lower extremity and she "never consented to amputation of her left lower extremity."
The New York Times said the lawsuit alleged that, though medical records stated "two time outs" had taken place, "the surgical team still amputated the wrong leg," and it quoted the lawsuit saying the performance of surgery on the wrong extremity was "a complete failure of basic safety procedures." The hospital told WBNS-TV of Columbus that its expected operating room procedures were not followed, and it said those involved were held accountable and were no longer in their positions.
Aftermath and accountability
Jacks and her husband named nine defendants in the lawsuit, and the complaint sought compensatory and punitive damages for physical injury, permanent disability, pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and medical expenses.
Layne said there is "simply no excuse" for what happened, and he argued that "complete and total failure by multiple medical professionals caused this catastrophe."
The hospital said it has fully cooperated with a review by the Ohio Department of Health, and it said the review confirmed its surgical protocols are "safe and effective" and that its clinical and leadership teams "have implemented corrective measures across our organization to prevent a situation like this from recurring."
Dr. Gregory Krivchenia II is listed as a defendant and he is still licensed to practice in Ohio, according to online records.
Layne said Jacks has been cancer-free since the correct operation was performed, and he told NBC10 Philadelphia that the wrong-site amputation changed everything in his client27s life, from her ability to get dressed to her ability to cook for herself.