Trucking company Werner Enterprises alleged a 16-minute spine surgery at Nassau University Medical Center was among unnecessary medical procedures performed as part of a scheme to inflate damages stemming from a 2022 vehicle crash, according to a July 21 third-party complaint filed in New York County Supreme Court.
The complaint named Hempstead, N.Y.-based Orthopaedics Spine & Sports Medicine, doing business as Total Orthopedics, and several physicians as third-party defendants. It alleged the defendants provided unnecessary procedures and surgeries to maximize billing and inflate the value of the underlying lawsuit. Werner brought claims including fraud, aiding and abetting fraud and violations of New York General Business Law section 349, which deals with consumer protections and deceptive practices.
The filing alleged an unnecessary anterior cervical decompression and instrumented fusion was performed at East Meadow, N.Y.-based Nassau University Medical Center on July 11, 2024. The complaint described nine procedures associated with the surgery and alleged the total surgery time was 16 minutes.
Total Orthopedics has had a contract with NUMC to operate its orthopedics department since 2007, according to the complaint. The filing also alleged its spinal surgeon staff and spinal surgeries were under internal investigation at NUMC and that the organization’s involvement in the department was being reduced.
The allegations have not been established as fact by the court.
Becker’s has reached out to NUMC and Total Orthopedics for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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