12/12/2025
Doris Jordan, a 44-year-old wife, mother of five, friend, nurse, and Army reservist, died while having cosmetic surgery in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Little did she know that the plastic surgery center she chose didn't have basic supplies like fluids, medications for anesthesia, and even oxygen for the recovery room. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Doris woke up during the middle of the surgery because she was not getting enough anesthetic medication; then the oxygen monitoring equipment was faulty; and the CRNA and nurse weren't even paying attention to her in the recovery room. When the physician finally decided to check on her, the physician realized Doris wasn't even breathing despite the CRNA and nurse standing at the bedside. When they checked to see if she was getting any oxygen through her nasal cannula, they followed the plastic tubing only to find that it wasn't connected to any oxygen. Doris suffocated, suffered massive brain damage, and died a few days later, leaving behind her beloved family and friends.
After four years of litigation, we had the opportunity to finally try to hold the surgery center and its owner accountable. After presenting all the evidence and witnesses, a fair and courageous Gwinnett County judge honored her life and awarded the family $52 million. Unfortunately, the family may never see a $1 from this victory, but they have won justice, accountability, and closure. Our civil justice system honored Doris and made a statement that Georgians must be protected from reckless and dangerous medical care. We must work to protect this justice system that protects all of us. We appreciate Doris's family for letting us share her tragic story so that we can all learn to be even more grateful for many things, including life and our loved ones this holiday season.
Did you know that there is an effort underway being pushed by billion-dollar insurance companies, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Hospital Association, medical malpractice defense law firms and lawyers, and others to CAP the value of someone's life in medical malpractice wrongful death cases in Georgia to $350,000? I'm certain that most all of us would agree that our lives and our loved ones lives are worth more than that, that families should be compensated fairly for that loss if it's due to malpractice, and a fair civil justice system without caps helps protect against careless and reckless malpractice errors. Otherwise, it's a license to kill without real accountability. So be sure to vote for Georgia politicians and judges, especially on the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, who will protect the civil justice system and the right to trial by a jury.
