This is definitely a sticky wicket of a lawsuit, especially once you hear the particulars. Phillip Seaton, a truck driver from Kentucky, went into hospital to have a circumcision performed, but instead had a large portion of his manhood removed.
Why? Once the surgeon realized that Seaton’s penis was full of cancer, he removed the affected organ, thinking he had saved the Kentucky man’s life.
Seaton disagrees, hence the lawsuit.
From Forbes…
Former truck driver Phillip Seaton testified during his civil trial against Dr. John Patterson that the doctor came into his room after the 2007 surgery that was supposed to have been a circumcision. Patterson’s attorney said during opening arguments that he had no choice but to remove the tip of Seaton’s penis because it was riddled with deadly penile cancer.
Seaton recalled Patterson telling him, “The bad news is you have cancer. The good news is I had to cut some of your penis off.”
Not that I’m questioning the doctor’s bedside manner, but how is “I had to cut some of your penis off” good news? That’s never good news…in fact, that may be the worst news ever.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Apparently Seaton is illiterate, and even though he can’t read, still signed off on the consent forms allowing the doctors to do what was needed once Seaton was under anaesthesia, which includes cutting off some of his deadly penile cancer infected penis.
OK then.
And while I feel for Mr. Seaton, who claims he feels less of man, depressed, and not able to engage in sexual activity with his wife following the unexpected penile amputation, it’s better than the alternative, which is death from penile cancer.
