A man in New Mexico received the largest medical payout in history after doctors “irreversibly” damaged his penis.
The patient, who has not been named, was tricked into having unnecessary injections into his genitals at a clinic that preyed on older men.
He can no longer have an erection and must sit down to urinate because his penis has become covered in thick scar tissue.
The victim, who was 66 years old at the time, had visited NuMale Medical Center in Albuquerque in 2017 seeking treatment for fatigue and weight loss.
According to a lawsuit filed in 2020, the man was persuaded to give ‘invasive erectile dysfunction injections’ into his penis several times a week.
The lawsuit claims the injections caused permanent damage to the man’s penis.
Lawyers representing the plaintiff said: “His helplessness is permanent and the damage is completely irreversible.”
This week, after a four-year legal battle, the now 72-year-old man was awarded $412 million in damages, the largest medical malpractice award from a jury in U.S. history.
An unnamed man in New Mexico was awarded more than $400 million after suffering impotence, scarring on his penis and inability to urinate while standing after receiving erectile dysfunction injections (file image)
The second largest was in 2006, when former basketball player Allan Navarro was awarded $216.7 million after Florida doctors misdiagnosed his stroke as a headache, leaving him with brain damage.
Lori Bencoe, one of the attorneys who represented the plaintiff, said, “This is a nationally unprecedented case and it’s fair because I don’t think there is any place for licensed professionals to scam patients for money.” This is a very flagrant breach of his fiduciary duty.
“That is a breach of trust and any time someone wears a white coat, they should not be allowed to do so.”
Nick Rowley, another lawyer representing the man, said on Instagram that he was sent home with a “dangerous chemical” injected into his penis and was not given an antidote.
It is unclear what chemicals were used in the injections.
The award follows a trial that took place last month based on the lawsuit filed on the man’s behalf in 2020. NuMale did not admit wrongdoing and did not comment on the findings.
Rowley said patients were told they must receive at least three injections a week or suffer irreversible damage.
Brad Palubicki, president of NuMale Medical Center, told Associated Press that the company’s focus is to continue providing responsible patient care while maintaining strict safety and compliance standards throughout its facilities.
He said: “While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings we are unable to comment on specific details of the case at this time.”
NuMale Medical Center (pictured), the clinic that administered the injections, did not comment on the findings of the case.
NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
His Albuquerque clinic specializes in erectile dysfunction and testosterone replacement, as well as weight loss and hair replacement, according to the website.
The company launched in 2013 and claims to treat more than 100,000 patients.
The Albuquerque clinic has an average of 4.4 stars from 54 Google reviews.
Erectile dysfunction injections are intended to relax penile muscles and open blood vessels, increasing blood flow and erections. They usually work in five to 15 minutes.
Erectile dysfunction affects about 30 million men in the United States, most of whom are over 65 years old.