A man looking to address his weight issues found his life turned upside down after a health center mishap left his penis severely damaged due to a misdiagnosis of erectile dysfunction.
Following a protracted legal battle lasting four years, a jury in New Mexico has awarded a significant $412 million in damages to the man, whose identity remains private. The compensation is to be paid by NuMale Medical Center and other associated officials after one of their doctors improperly prescribed penile injection treatments to the 66-year-old man.
NuMale Medical Center operates clinics in several states, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Nonetheless, the clinic involved in this case is located in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, which encompasses Albuquerque, the largest city in the state.
The plaintiff recounted in court that his initial visit to the center occurred in 2017, when he sought treatment for testosterone replacement and weight loss.
Court documents reveal that he was incorrectly diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and subsequently enrolled in a treatment plan costing $5,000 based on this incorrect diagnosis.
Three years later, in 2020, the man decided to take legal action against the medical center. The case concluded on November 25, with him being awarded the largest ever settlement for medical malpractice.
The initial award of $412 million is anticipated to exceed $550 million with accrued interest.
Following the court’s decision, Lori Bencoe, the attorney representing the now 72-year-old man, commented: “It’s a national record-setting case and it’s righteous because I don’t think there’s any place for licensed professionals to be defrauding patients for money. That is a very egregious breach of their fiduciary duty.
“That’s breach of trust and anytime someone is wearing a white coat, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”
Another attorney for the man, Nick Rowley, described the extent of the damage, asserting that the man’s penis was ‘completely ruined’, and added: “Because of corporate fraud and greed, [the man] faces irreversible harm that has profoundly impacted his body and his life.”
Brad Palubicki, President of NuMale Medical Center, stated that his clinics are ‘committed to providing safe, high-quality patient care’.
In a conversation with the Associated Press, he stated: “While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time.”
The treatment administered to the man involved testosterone pellet implantation at the medical center, along with penis injections intended for home use. He was shown how to administer these injections and was later provided with ‘reversal medication’ for his condition.
When he returned to the clinic complaining of ineffective treatment, he was informed he was misapplying the injections. A physician assistant demonstrated the correct method, sending him ‘home with a medically induced and medically unnecessary erection’, as per the press release.
The release also noted: “[He] is now impotent and unable to have an erection, cannot urinate standing up, and has irreversible fibrosis of the penis or scar tissue where living cells used to be. His impotence is permanent and the damage is completely irreversible.”