A Maine woman was awarded $15 million after a Northern Light Health surgeon removed her bladder instead of an ovarian cyst.
A nine-person jury unanimously found that Northern Light and Inland Hospital were negligent in its care of Emily Mitchell of Skowhegan when Dr. Danielle Gagnon removed Mitchell’s bladder instead of an ovarian cyst on March 1, 2023.
The hospital system’s negligence was the proximate cause for Mitchell’s injuries, the jury found. The verdict came back Thursday afternoon after a trial started July 13 in Kennebec County Superior Court.
This is the fourth lawsuit against Northern Light this year where a jury found the system was negligent in its medical care. Jury trials for such cases are rare but this recent string has resulted in large sums awarded to people injured by the health system, ranging from $750,000 to $23.1 million.
Mitchell was awarded $15.75 million for her injuries as well as pain and suffering and future medical bills. Her husband, Joshua Mitchell, was awarded $1.25 million for damages after Mitchell’s botched surgery.
Gagnon is no longer employed by Northern Light Heath, and Inland Hospital closed in June 2025.
“We respect the jury’s verdict and extend our sympathy to Ms. Mitchell and her family,” Northern Light spokesperson Suzanne Spruce said. “Every patient who comes to our organization deserves safe, compassionate, and high-quality care. When outcomes fall short of those expectations, we take them very seriously.”
Mitchell’s lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment.
Mitchell, then 40, had laparoscopic surgery performed by Gagnon that was supposed to remove a cyst on Mitchell’s left ovary.
After the surgery Mitchell had “intense pain and discomfort, bloating, and trouble urinating” and was admitted to the hospital, the lawsuit said. Two days later she was transferred to Eastern Maine Medical Center because her symptoms were worse.
In Bangor, Mitchell had exploratory surgery where surgeons thought they would likely repair a bladder injury. Instead they could not find Mitchell’s bladder.
During the second surgery, pathology reviewed the tissue that was originally removed and found “full thickness fragments of bladder wall” and no trace of ovarian tissue, the lawsuit said. In October 2023, Mitchell had surgery in Boston to create a new bladder out of tissue from her intestine. That surgery was three hours longer than anticipated because of additional damage the surgeon discovered, the lawsuit said.
Mitchell has required ongoing medical care and has had recurring urinary tract infections in the years since the botched surgery.