A nine-person jury in Ellsworth, Maine awarded $750,000 in damages to a 71-year-old woman on Friday after finding that her orthopedic surgeon and hospital provided negligent medical care during hip replacement surgery. The Maine medical malpractice verdict came after three days of witness testimony at Hancock County Superior Court and less than four hours of jury deliberation.
What Happened to Mary Shea
Mary Shea, a resident of Milbridge, Maine, sued orthopedic surgeon Peter Copithorne and Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital over right hip replacement surgeries performed in 2019. According to the lawsuit, Shea was 64 at the time and had previously undergone a successful left hip replacement in 2013 with no significant complications.
Her right hip replacement, performed in February 2019, left a routine complication that should have been identified and repaired quickly. During a follow-up visit after surgery, Copithorne failed to read Shea's correct post-operative X-ray. He did not review the correct imaging until May 24, 2019, more than two months after the X-rays were taken on March 20, 2019.
According to court testimony, Copithorne recorded in Shea's medical documentation that he had reviewed her March 20 X-rays with her. He later amended the note to reflect that he had read the wrong film. The original note was made with auto-generated language, a common practice for physicians.
A Second Surgery Made Things Worse
Because of the delayed diagnosis, Shea required a much more invasive procedure called an osteotomy to address the complication. During that second surgery, which the lawsuit said Copithorne had only performed alone once before, he sawed a centimeter-long gap in Shea's femur. He unsuccessfully attempted to close the opening with wire, according to the lawsuit.
The femur is essential for mobility, and Shea's injuries from this procedure left her with permanent physical impairment. Two physicians testified at trial that the osteotomy would not have been necessary had Copithorne read Shea's X-rays on the day they were taken.
During the two months between her March 20 imaging and her May 24 follow-up appointment, the muscles and tendons around Shea's femur atrophied, causing permanent weakness and mobility issues, according to plaintiff attorney Elizabeth Kayatta.
Years of Treatment and $291,000 in Medical Bills
After leaving Copithorne's care, Shea sought treatment from a Portland surgeon to fix her femur and undergo additional revision surgery. From there, she began years of injections, medication regimens, physical therapies, and various procedures to manage her pain, weakness, and mobility problems, according to testimony from Victoria Brander, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Northwestern Medicine who served as an expert witness.
Shea's right hip replacement treatment resulted in nearly $300,000 in medical bills, approximately $250,000 more than what her successful left hip replacement cost. Once an avid hiker and kayaker, Shea has faced significant physical limitations, along with mental health challenges, in the years since her surgeries with Copithorne.
The Jury's Maine Medical Malpractice Verdict and Defense Arguments
The Ellsworth jury found that both Copithorne and Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital provided negligent medical care that harmed Shea. Three of the nine jurors did not concur with the verdict. Maine civil suits do not require a unanimous jury.
Defense attorney Douglas Morgan acknowledged that Copithorne's failure to read the correct X-ray was negligent but argued that this did not directly cause Shea's medical complications. Morgan contended that Shea would have needed the osteotomy regardless of when the X-ray was read. The jury disagreed with that position.
"Though we are disappointed with the verdict in this matter, we respect the jury's decision," Morgan said. "More importantly, we wish Mary Shea the best and continued good health moving forward."
Kayatta framed the verdict as a moment of accountability. "When doctors make medical errors, they need to be held accountable for those errors in a meaningful way," she told the Bangor Daily News.
According to the lawsuit, Copithorne is the second-highest paid physician at Northern Light. ProPublica reported he earned $712,019 for the fiscal year ending in September 2024.
Why Verdicts Like This Matter
Medical malpractice verdicts in Maine provide critical public insight into how juries evaluate surgical errors, hospital accountability, and patient outcomes. For anyone researching what medical malpractice cases in Maine are worth at trial, cases like Shea's offer real data from real courtrooms.
Verdicts like this one deserve to be seen. Major Verdict is the only platform where plaintiff attorneys can publicly display their trial results and settlements for free. Create your profile today and let your record speak for itself. If you or someone you love has been affected by a medical error, you can find a plaintiff lawyer on Major Verdict with a proven trial record in your state.
