A Georgia jury has awarded $52 million in damages to the family of Doris Jordan, a woman who died following a cosmetic surgery known as a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), though her relatives are unlikely to receive most of the compensation due to the clinic’s lack of insurance.
The verdict was delivered on Dec. 9 in Gwinnett County Superior Court, where Judge Jon W. Setzer awarded $16 million for pain and suffering and $36 million for wrongful death, according to KBTX. The judgment stems from a December 2019 procedure performed at Sei Bello, a cosmetic surgery clinic in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Jordan, a nurse, U.S. Army veteran, and mother of three, died one day after undergoing the procedure. Testimony presented during the trial revealed that she suffered catastrophic brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation during surgery.
According to Moses Kim, the family’s attorney, Jordan’s oxygen supply was compromised because there was no functional oxygen source anywhere in the facility. Staff members allegedly failed to realize throughout the operation that she was not receiving oxygen.
“Miss Jordan was not breathing, and when they checked whether she was receiving oxygen through the tubing in her nose, they discovered the line was not connected to any oxygen source because the facility had no oxygen available,” Kim told the court.
Kim also testified that clinic staff waited approximately 19 minutes before calling 911 after determining that Jordan had no pulse and was not breathing. He argued that the clinic committed malpractice before, during, and after the procedure.
Despite the jury’s sizable award, Jordan’s husband, James Jordan, said the family is unlikely to recover much of the judgment because the clinic was uninsured at the time of the surgery.
“I want my wife back,” he told Atlanta News First. “The money doesn’t compensate for what she did for me and our family.”
Records from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office show that Sei Bello was dissolved in 2020 after failing to meet registration and fee requirements. The clinic’s registered owner, John Holmes, is no longer operating the business. The physician involved in Jordan’s care, Kanye Willis, settled separately with the family out of court and remains licensed to practice medicine in Georgia.
The Jordan family said the lawsuit was not only about financial compensation but also about accountability and public awareness, particularly regarding the risks posed by poorly regulated cosmetic surgery clinics.
“I just hope people take this seriously and do their research,” James Jordan said. “These pop-up clinics are not always what they appear to be.”
