A Penobscot County jury awarded Travis Getchell $6.5 million on April 17, 2026, after finding Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and neurosurgeon Dr. Kutluay Uluc negligent in the care that left the 41-year-old Eddington man partially paralyzed. Getchell arrived at the emergency room on August 30, 2021, with a herniated disc compressing his spinal nerves, a condition requiring emergency surgery to prevent permanent damage. Surgery was not performed until roughly 24 hours later. He now walks short distances only with leg braces and has lost bladder and bowel control. The verdict is reported as one of the highest ever returned in Penobscot County.
Case at a Glance
- Verdict: $6.5 million
- Case Type: Medical Malpractice
- Court: Penobscot County, Maine
- Verdict Date: April 17, 2026
- Plaintiff: Travis Getchell
- Defendants: Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center; Dr. Kutluay Uluc
- Plaintiff Attorneys: Meryl Poulin and Benjamin Gideon
What Happened at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center?
Getchell presented to the emergency room at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center on August 30, 2021, reporting severe back symptoms. An MRI was ordered to evaluate his spine. According to evidence presented at trial, nearly four hours passed before a clinician reviewed the imaging results.
The MRI showed a herniated disc pressing on nerves at the base of the spinal canal, a pattern consistent with cauda equina syndrome. Emergency neurosurgery is the accepted treatment when this condition is identified, with the surgical window measured in hours rather than days.
Getchell's surgery was ultimately performed on August 31, 2021, about 24 hours after he first arrived in the emergency department.
What Is Cauda Equina Syndrome and Why Does Timing Matter?
Cauda equina syndrome occurs when the bundle of nerves at the lower end of the spinal cord is compressed, most often by a herniated disc. The condition can cause sudden, permanent loss of bladder and bowel function, sexual function, and lower-limb strength if pressure on the nerves is not promptly relieved.
Medical guidance generally treats cauda equina syndrome as a surgical emergency. The longer the nerves remain compressed, the greater the risk that damage becomes permanent even after the disc material is removed.
Those facts were central to the plaintiff's case. Getchell's attorneys argued that the delay between his arrival and his surgery cost him the chance to recover full function.
Why Did the Jury Side with the Plaintiff?
After roughly five days of testimony, the Penobscot County jury returned a verdict against Northern Light Health, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Dr. Kutluay Uluc. The jury found the defendants negligent and awarded Getchell $6.5 million in damages.
The plaintiff was represented by Meryl Poulin and Benjamin Gideon. Their case centered on the nearly four-hour gap between the MRI and clinician review, and on the overall timeline that resulted in surgery occurring roughly a day after Getchell first sought care.
In a statement following the verdict, Northern Light said, "We are disappointed with the jury's verdict, we respect it."
What Does This Verdict Mean for Maine Medical Malpractice Cases?
The award is reported as one of the highest medical malpractice verdicts ever returned in Penobscot County. Its size reflects the severity of the permanent injuries Getchell described to the jury: partial paralysis, loss of bladder and bowel control, and a life in which walking requires leg braces and is limited to short distances.
For plaintiff lawyers in Maine, the case illustrates how focused timeline evidence, the time between arrival, imaging, review, and treatment, can drive verdicts in delayed-diagnosis claims. When medical literature treats a condition as a surgical emergency, juries are often willing to scrutinize every hour that passes before care is delivered.
For patients and families, the verdict is a reminder that hospital systems can be held accountable when emergency care does not match the urgency of the diagnosis. Similar cases are aggregated in the personal injury verdict news hub, and attorneys in the state are listed in the Maine personal injury attorneys directory.
Bottom Line
The Getchell verdict shows what a Maine jury was willing to do when a plaintiff could document, hour by hour, how a hospital's response fell short of the urgency the diagnosis demanded. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is cauda equina syndrome?
Cauda equina syndrome is a condition in which the bundle of nerves at the lower end of the spinal cord is compressed, often by a herniated disc. Symptoms can include severe lower-back pain, leg weakness, numbness in the saddle area, and loss of bladder or bowel control. It is generally considered a surgical emergency.
Q: How quickly should hospitals treat suspected cauda equina syndrome?
Medical guidance treats suspected cauda equina syndrome as a surgical emergency, with imaging and neurosurgical evaluation expected to occur without delay. Prolonged nerve compression increases the risk of permanent paralysis and loss of bladder and bowel function, which is why timeline evidence is often central in these lawsuits.
Q: Can patients in Maine sue a hospital for a delayed diagnosis?
Yes. Maine allows medical malpractice claims against hospitals and individual providers when a delay in diagnosis or treatment falls below the accepted standard of care and causes injury. Claims must generally be filed within the state's statute of limitations and, in many cases, presented to a pre-litigation screening panel before trial. Additional context is available in the Maine personal injury public resources.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2026 Major Verdict, LLC. All rights reserved. For more information visit our reuse and editorial standards information.
