Sharon Jacks went to Selby General Hospital in Marietta, Ohio, on Sept. 19, 2025, for a below-the-knee amputation of her right leg, which had been affected by cancer and a chronic ulcer. Instead, according to a lawsuit filed this month in Washington County Common Pleas Court, doctors amputated her left leg.
Jacks’ attorneys say the right leg had been identified as the operative limb before surgery and was marked accordingly. The complaint also alleges that the surgical team carried out two separate safety “time-outs” before the operation, procedures intended to confirm the patient, planned procedure and correct surgical site.
Despite those precautions, the lawsuit alleges that the operation proceeded on the wrong side.
According to attorney Brad Layne, the medical records indicate that the surgeon had actually marked the correct leg before the operation. Layne said that mark was still visible on the right leg after the left leg had been removed.
The mistake had consequences beyond the initial surgery. Doctors later performed the planned amputation on Jacks’ right leg as well, leaving her a double amputee, according to her attorney and multiple reports on the lawsuit. NBC News reported that the second procedure occurred about four months after the original operation.
The lawsuit describes the wrong-site operation as a “never event,” a term used in health care for serious errors that are considered preventable, including wrong-site surgery.
Jacks’ case also describes the impact the amputations have had on her everyday life. Her attorney said she now faces challenges with basic movement and requires significant assistance. Her husband, Dannie Jacks, has also had to make major changes to help care for her, including leaving his job, according to local reporting.
The lawsuit names Selby General Hospital, medical organizations and members of the surgical team as defendants. Jacks is seeking damages for injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, medical expenses and other losses.
The hospital has acknowledged that an adverse surgical event occurred. In a statement provided to local media, Selby General said its review determined that the incident was avoidable and that expected operating-room procedures were not followed. The hospital also said the people involved were held accountable and were no longer in their positions.
The case is now moving through the Ohio court system, where the allegations will be addressed through the legal process. The lawsuit’s claims are allegations and have not been established as facts by a court.
For Jacks and her family, however, the consequences of the September 2025 surgery are already permanent. What was supposed to be a planned operation on one leg ultimately resulted in the loss of both legs and a significant change to the way she lives day to day.
