A man living in Jacksonville, Florida with permanent brain damage has won a medical malpractice lawsuit against a hospital. The jury in his case determined he would be paid $177 million due to the hospital’s negligence in dealing with his weight-loss surgery complications.

The man, a 32-year-old former deputy, was told that he would live a longer and healthier life if he was able to lose some weight. He opted for gastric bypass surgery and specifically chose Memorial Hospital for their weight-loss program. He had the surgery in March 2007 and due to unforeseen challenges during and after the surgery, is now left with irreversible brain damage.

The doctors ran into difficulties during the procedure, which could not be explained, and their lack of attention to the man in the days following his accident directly led to the development of severe brain damage. It has almost been four years since the surgery and the man is unable to walk on his own, eat on his own or bathe on his own. He requires constant care to get through each day. He is grateful for the verdict but would gladly reverse the entire decision if he were able to return to his life before the surgery.