The owner of a Monroe driving school is suing Bridgeport’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center after an overlooked sponge during hernia surgery two years ago allegedly left him with permanent injuries.
Gary M. Knepler, formerly of Trumbull and living in Boynton Beach, Fla., says he is suing for an unspecified sum.
He owns Knepler’s Driving School.
According to a statement, Knepler says the surgery mishap occurred during emergency surgery in November 2010. He says a severe infection required additional surgery and left him on his back for months.
“Even after the hospital apologized for this error, they still sent me a bill for $24,000 that my insurance would not cover because they said it was a clear case of malpractice,” Knepler said.
His wife, Julia L. Knepler, is a co-plaintiff, alleging the incident resulted in her being “deprived of the companionship and society of her husband” as well as loss of consortium.
Bridgeport’s Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder are their lawyers.
The hospital has until March 19 to respond to the lawsuit, the statement said.
