In Palm Beach County, Florida, former doctor Berto Lopez has been held liable for $100 million in damages in a devastating medical malpractice case concerning a severely botched infant circumcision. The jury reached the verdict on August 27, awarding the substantial sum to the infant’s parents after Lopez, who was still practicing medicine despite a pending license revocation, severely injured the child during a circumcision procedure in February 2021. Lopez, once an experienced OB-GYN with a career spanning over 33 years, mistakenly severed the child’s penis, causing irreparable harm.
At the time of the incident, Lopez’s medical license was under review for revocation by the Florida Board of Medicine, following a troubling history of malpractice. His record includes numerous allegations of incompetence and negligence, notably the death of Onystei Castillo-Lopez, a patient who died under his care in 2017. This tragedy was one of several critical cases that contributed to the board's decision to revoke his license.
Court records reveal a disturbing pattern of behavior throughout Lopez’s medical career, linking him to at least 14 serious injuries and six patient deaths. These cases typically involved botched procedures, inadequate post-operative care, and negligent treatment. Despite these alarming figures and the revocation of his license, Lopez continued to practice medicine, with disastrous consequences in this most recent case involving the infant.
The $100 million verdict underscores the severe consequences of the malpractice and serves as a pointed reminder of the critical importance of regulatory oversight in the medical profession. Lopez’s ability to continue practicing despite a known history of negligence raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of Florida’s medical licensing system and the enforcement of disciplinary actions against physicians. Medical experts and patient advocates are calling for reforms to ensure that individuals with revoked or suspended licenses cannot continue to put patients at risk.
This case has sparked outrage within the medical community and beyond, with many advocating for stricter oversight and accountability to prevent similar tragedies from occurring. The infant’s parents, now left to cope with the long-term effects of this irreversible injury, hope that the ruling will lead to significant changes in medical licensing laws to protect future patients from such harm.