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is underrated."
Ms. Wargo's week-long medical malpractice trial in 2009 was marked by finger pointing. The surgeon blamed the anesthesia assistant for not stemming the flow of oxygen when he activated the Bovie. The anesthetist claimed she didn't hear the surgeon. The jury found the surgeon to be 100% responsible for the fire, exonerating the anesthesia assistant.
"It was a miscommunication," says Ms. Wargo, who was awarded $872,000 for her pain and suffering and $425,000 in punitive damages. On appeal, the award was capped at about $300,000. After medical bills and her attorney's 40% take, she received a check in 2012 for about $100,000.
"It was never about the money," she says. "It was about figuring out what happened and getting the apology, which I never did get from the doctor. It took years of my life away to get over this."
Ms. Wargo's facial scars and discoloration have healed remarkably well. She suffers from severe dry eye in her left eye; her tear duct
scarred over and her eyelid doesn't close all the way. "It's funny — I never knew surgical fires were possible," she says. Don't you make the same mistake. OSM