Bladder removal malpractice verdict

Jay Mitchell, a 43-year-old Maine woman, was awarded $15.75 million by a Kennebec County jury on July 23, 2026, after surgeon Dr. Danielle Gagnon mistakenly removed her bladder instead of a benign ovarian cyst during a routine laparoscopic surgery on March 1, 2023. Her husband Joshua Mitchell received an additional $1.25 million, totaling $17 million, the largest medical malpractice verdict in Kennebec County history. The jury found Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Health negligent. Mitchell suffered severe complications, including reliance on nephrostomy tubes for eight months, and underwent reconstructive surgery in October 2023 using intestinal tissue. She continues to require lifelong medical care. Dr. Gagnon is no longer employed by Northern Light Health, and Northern Light Inland Hospital closed in May 2025 due to financial losses.