$40 mil award for death during surgery

[Guest guest]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--liposuctionlawsui0604jun04,0,2473424.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

Family of man who died during liposuction surgery awarded $40 millionJune 4, 2003, 5:27 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) _ The family of a 33-year-old man who died during a botched liposuction surgery has been awarded more than $40 million in damages from the clinic and doctors involved. Cunningham died of a heart attack on the operating table in 1998 after unlicensed doctors performed a tumescent liposuction intended to remove fat from his abdomen. He had paid $3,500 for the procedure to LaFontaine Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Care Center in Manhattan. Kownacki, a lawyer for Cunningham's family, called the clinic a "fly-by-night outfit." "There was a reckless disregard for their health and well-being," he told The New York Post for its Wednesday editions. "This was just a money-making operation." LaFontaine, an owner of the clinic, was arrested and sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for insurance fraud in 1998 after submitting almost $500,000 in fake claims. Her husband, Arthur Kissel, has fled to Canada and is awaiting extradition. "Don't just go in and let someone perform surgery on you," Margaret Brown, Cunningham's aunt, told the Daily News. "My nephew lost his life because he didn't know."

Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press