Ohio Woman Says Hospital Amputated Incorrect Leg

An Ohio woman says a hospital error cost her both legs instead of one, per a new lawsuit. Sharon Jacks, 74, says Selby General Hospital in Marietta and her doctors removed her left lower leg in September 2025, even though they had been tasked with amputating her lower right leg as part of treatment for skin cancer. Four months later, another Ohio hospital amputated the correct leg, leaving her a double amputee, reports the New York Times. In the suit, Jacks and her husband accuse nine defendants of gross negligence, battery, and reckless conduct, citing a "complete failure" of basic safety checks.

Her attorney, Brad Layne, says records show two "surgical time outs"—essentially required verification checks that occur to make sure the correct procedure is being done on the correct patient—were documented, but the incorrect leg was still amputated. "The surgeon actually marked the correct leg pre-surgery. The mark was still on the correct leg after the wrong leg had been taken off," Layne says. Selby, part of Memorial Health System, told WBNS-TV its operating-room procedures "were not followed" and said involved staff are no longer in their jobs.