Big payout in wrong knee surgery lawsuit

updated 11:58 a.m. ET Jan. 21, 2005

NEW YORK - A hospital and the New York Rangers’ hockey team doctor Thursday were ordered to pay $450,000 to a dance director and choreographer who had surgery on the wrong knee.

Douglas Hall, 43, went to St. Vincent’s Hospital in November 2001 for arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Despite marking the right knee with an “X,” Dr. Andrew Feldman operated on the left knee.

Feldman, described on St. Vincent’s Web site as the head team physician for the Rangers, admitted an error occurred; the parties disagreed on how it happened. Hall’s lawyer, Richard Gurfein, said Feldman claims the operating room was set up for a left knee operation.

The defense is asking for a reduction or dismissal of the jury award; an appeal will depend on the judge’s decision on the matter, the defendants’ lawyer Paul Callan said.

Hall, a dancer for 20 years before becoming a choreographer, is now studying drama production at Rutgers University, Gurfein said.

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