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Former All White Jake Gleeson Awarded $36 Million In Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
A jury has ruled in favour of former All Whites goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, awarding him NZ$35.7m in damages after he brought a medical malpractice lawsuit against his ex-team doctor, ESPN reports.
Gleeson's football career came to a halt in 2018 after a back surgery to treat stress fractures in both of his legs went wrong.
Both of the footballer's legs became infected, and it was alleged that the plates inserted into his legs hadn't been properly sterilised.
Gleeson - who played for the All Whites from 2011 to 2014 - had since undergone 14 surgeries that eventually ended his career.
ESPN reported that he was now unable to walk without pain.
At the time, he had been playing in the United States' Major League Soccer league for the Portland Timbers.
He was under the supervision of their doctor Richard H. Edelson, whom he sued for medial malpractice nearly five years ago.
The verdict came in after the recent three-week long trial.
ESPN also reported Gleeson had settled claims with another doctor, Dr Jonathan Greenleaf, as well as the facility where the surgery was performed, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Centre.
The Timbers were never named in the suit.
Edelson's defence argued that the sterilisation technique used - Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) - was sufficient, and that infection was a common risk of surgery.
The defence maintained the doctor was not at fault for the complications, but have not said whether they were planning to appeal the decision.
Gleeson said to ESPN over a Zoom call, after the verdict, that the last few years had been "very hard".
"This has been something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, not that I have too many of those.
"It's been a lot of physical pain. It's been a lot of emotional pain, and those have come in different stages. I would say that this has been something that's quite consumed my life for the last six and a half years since that initial surgery.
"I left the training field one day, not knowing that that would be the last time I would ever be a professional soccer player."
Gleeson said he now wanted to advocate for doctor guidelines and policies.
"It doesn't matter if you're an MLS player, it doesn't matter if you're an NFL player, it doesn't matter if you work a desk job. When you sign that consent form, you're signing that they're going to do everything in their power to keep you safe. This doctor did not do that."
John Pollino, Edelson's attorney, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by ESPN.
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