The family of the late Kay Cregan, a mother of two from County Limerick, has agreed to a legal settlement of $3.1m (€2.4m) following her death during cosmetic surgery. The incident was particularly shocking because Mrs. Cregan had not informed her husband, Liam Cregan, that she was undergoing a facelift during her visit to New York in March 2005.
A jury found anaesthesiologist Dr. Madhavrao Subbarao and nurse Susan Alonzo Francisco guilty of not implementing best medical practice in her post-operative care. However, the jury did not find that the anaesthesiologist and nurse were responsible for Mrs. Cregan’s death.
The plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael Evans Sachs, had been involved in 30 malpractice cases in 10 years prior to surrendering his licence to practice to the medical regulatory authorities in New York State. The settlement consisted of a $2.1m (€1.6m) settlement with Dr. Sachs’s insurance company and $1m (€769,000) with lawyers representing nurse Susan Alonzo Francisco.