Bradley Cosgrove: Chicago woman's family awarded $66 million after death from plastic surgery complications
Chicago woman's family awarded $66 million after death from plastic surgery complications
By Todd Feurer
December 21, 2024 / 10:37 PM CST / CBS Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A court has awarded $66 million to the family of a mother of four who died due to complications from plastic surgery.
In November of 2019, Idalia Corcoles went to 63rd Medical and Surgical Center for liposuction, and found Dr. Ayoub Sayeg performing the surgery out of his office, according to her family's attorneys at Clifford Law Offices.
During her operation, something went wrong, and she started bleeding internally.
In court, the doctor testified that he never saw Corcoles after the surgery, and didn't spot the physical signs of internal bleeding.
"They essentially abandoned her in the recovery room," said attorney Brad Cosgrove. "This is a case about unrecognized and untreated blood loss that went on for hours and hours and hours, and she essentially was allowed to bleed to death."
On Friday, a Cook County jury awarded Corcoles' family $56 million in damages. With post-judgment interest, the court entered a judgment against the doctor for $66.262 million, which is believed to be a record in Cook County against a plastic surgeon, and perhaps the largest medical malpractice verdict in Illinois history.
Corcoles, who was 39, leaves behind a husband and four children.
The family's attorney said Dr. Sayeg is still practicing, but the jury's verdict will trigger a state investigation.
