Sharon Jacks has filed a lawsuit after surgeons at an Ohio hospital allegedly amputated her wrong leg.
Jacks, a cancer patient, entered Selby General Hospital in Marietta, Ohio, on Sept. 19, for a below-the-knee amputation of her right leg. She woke up to find her left leg had been removed instead, according to the 32-page complaint. Doctors later had to remove the originally scheduled leg as well, leaving the woman a double amputee.
“She went into surgery, and when she woke up, the wrong leg had been taken off,” her attorney Brad Layne told WBNS. “It defies explanation, obviously.”
Medical records reviewed by Layne indicate the surgeon had initially marked the correct leg before the procedure began. “The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off,” Layne claimed. Despite this marking, the wrong limb was still amputated.
The surgical team conducted two “time-outs” prior to operating, the suit states. These pauses are designed to confirm patient identity, the planned operation, and the correct surgical site before any incision. “Every person in that operating room is responsible to make sure that that is verified before moving forward, and that includes the doctor, the staff, the nurses, the anesthesiologist, everybody that’s involved,” Layne argued. “The records say that happened twice, but somehow Ms. Jacks is missing a leg that should have not been removed.”
Layne alleged that “complete and total failure by multiple medical professionals caused this catastrophe,” He continued: “Despite several opportunities to identify the mistake and stop the procedure, the surgical team somehow never noticed they were operating on the wrong leg.”
Wrong-site surgery is classified as a “never event” throughout the healthcare industry, the complaint notes, representing one of the most serious preventable medical errors. “It shouldn’t happen in any type of medicine. It shouldn’t happen anywhere. It shouldn’t happen in a veterinary setting, even,” Layne said.
Jacks filed her lawsuit on Sept. 15 against her surgeon, other surgical team members, and the hospital. The complaint lists nine counts including gross negligence, reckless conduct, and corporate negligence, and seeks both compensatory and punitive damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment, and loss of enjoyment of life.
“Now every day for the rest of her life, Sharon Jacks must live with the consequences of those failures,” Layne said.
In a press release, Layne argued “there is simply no excuse” for what happened to his client.
Selby General Hospital confirmed in a statement to WBNS that an “adverse surgical event” occurred in September 2025. “Our proactive review of what took place confirmed this was an avoidable event, and that our expected operating room procedures were not followed. Those involved were held accountable for their actions and are no longer in their positions,” the hospital stated. The facility added that it has “fully cooperated with a review by the Ohio Department of Health, which confirmed our surgical protocols are safe and effective” and that “clinical and leadership teams have implemented corrective measures across our organization to prevent a situation like this from recurring.”
The hospital noted the team “responded immediately to address the medical needs of the patient involved and provide support to their family.” All defendants in the suit are accused of “a complete failure of basic safety procedures.”