Former dispatcher wins verdict in amputation medical malpractice suit

What started as a broken ankle resulted in a series of medical mishaps that eventually cost a New York state man his entire leg. According to news reports, Donald Schultz was initially treated for his ankle in late 2004 at the Knee Center of West New York. The ankle was fixed but he suffered an infection following the procedure that required removal of his small toe. Then another infection resulted in the loss of the adjacent toe. Subsequent infections required a total of 12 surgeries and further amputations over five years. By the end of his ordeal, Schultz had lost his leg and was unable to hold his job as public safety dispatcher for the city of Towanda. He sued over his injuries and, more than nine years after he broke his ankle, a State Supreme Court jury recently awarded Schultz nearly $9 million.