Charles Blevins had arthroscopic knee surgery at an outpatient surgical center.  Three days later he went to an emergency room with severe pain and a fever, and he had to undergo further surgery and receive antibiotics for a bacterial infection.  He later learned three others who had been operated at the same outpatient center and also been infected with the same bacteria.  The surgeon later testified in court that he took it on trust the surgical instruments had been sterilized, but the facility did not keep records that would have noted if the same instruments had been used n all the infected patients.  Blevins went on to have two more operations on the knee and eventually a complete knee replacement.  

He is unable to walk more than four blocks.  A jury awarded him more than half a million dollars to compensate him for his pain and suffering, but under California’s outdated MICRA cap his compensation was slashed by more than half.