Politics & Government

Ex-Livingston Tennis Star Gets $1M After Doc Cut Her Leg: Report

The former Livingston sports standout had to attend her prom in a wheelchair after a surgeon cut a nerve during a biopsy, a report says.

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A jury has awarded a former Livingston High School tennis player $1.2 million after a local orthopedic surgeon allegedly cut a nerve in her leg during a biopsy four years ago. The resulting damage forced Samantha Alpert, now 22, to attend her prom in a wheelchair and permanently stopped her from playing the sport she loves, a report says.

A jury found that New Jersey-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Robbins didn’t fully inform Alpert about additional treatment options prior to a surgical biopsy for a benign bone growth in 2013, according to NJ.com. (Read the full report here.)

Alpert can no longer play tennis and was forced to attend her prom in a wheelchair, her lawyer said.

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The recent University of Southern California graduate was an all-conference tennis player with Livingston High School in 2012.

“What Dr. Robbins did was inexcusable and he permanently injured Samantha," Alpert’s attorney told a reporter. "We are grateful the jury held him accountable for his substandard medical care."

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Calls to Robbins were not returned, NJ.com stated.

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