Indiana Surgeon Loses Civil Case Appeal

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the first malpractice judgment against a former northwestern Indiana nose surgeon captured in Italy after five years on the run.

The Post-Tribune reports the court ruled Wednesday against Merrillville doctor Mark Weinberger. Former patient William Boyer sued Weinberger on claims the doctor did not perform proper surgery on Boyer. A Lake County jury sided with Boyer and awarded him $300,000 last year. It was the first civil suit to go to trial against Weinberger.

Weinberger still faces lawsuits from hundreds of former patients. He’s also scheduled for trial in January on 22 counts of health care fraud. A pretrial conference in the criminal case was set for Thursday.

Weinberger was arrested on an Italian mountainside in 2009 after disappearing in 2004.