KANSAS CITY — A Kansas woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a physician’s negligent care during a spinal injection procedure caused lasting nerve damage and paralysis in her lower leg and foot.
Natalie Ruth Gore accuses Dr. Ihab M. Doss of multiple failures in diagnosis, informed consent and treatment related to care she received for low back pain in March 2024, according to a complaint filed March 17 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
The lawsuit asserts jurisdiction under federal diversity statutes and states that venue is proper in the Western District of Missouri, where the events in question occurred.
The complaint states that Gore sought medical care from Doss on March 19, 2024, at Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg, for complaints of low back pain.
During that visit, the physician allegedly diagnosed her with disc herniations at the L5-S1 level without first ordering or performing any diagnostic imaging of her lower back.
Gore claims that Doss recommended she undergo a transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) at the L5-S1 level.
The lawsuit alleges that the physician did not obtain her informed consent for the procedure and failed to explain the risks and potential complications associated with it.
The complaint also claims that Doss performed the injection the same day at the medical center.
Medical records from the procedure do not indicate that imaging guidance, such as X-ray or ultrasound, was used during the injection, a factor the plaintiff claims contributed to the injury, according to the suit.
During the procedure, Gore alleges she experienced an unusual sensation described as a “cool rush of fluid” traveling down her back and into her left lower leg.
The lawsuit claims that while performing the injection, Doss failed to properly and safely navigate the injection site, resulting in injury and nerve damage.
As a result, Gore states she now suffers from prolonged numbness in her left lower leg and foot.
The complaint also alleges she has experienced paralysis in those areas, along with ongoing pain, suffering, and mental anguish.
The filing asserts that these injuries will require future medical care and lead to additional medical expenses.
The lawsuit outlines several specific allegations of negligence against Doss, including failure to obtain informed consent, failure to explain risks, failure to properly diagnose or treat her condition and failure to order appropriate diagnostic imaging before the procedure.
It also alleges that the physician failed to use imaging guidance during the injection, did not timely pursue additional testing or specialist consultation and did not appropriately maneuver within the spinal anatomy during the procedure.
The complaint asserts that at all relevant times, Doss had a duty to exercise the level of skill and care ordinarily expected of medical professionals under similar circumstances, and that he breached that duty through negligent, careless and reckless actions.
Gore is seeking compensatory damages, as well as court costs and any additional relief the court deems appropriate. She has also requested a trial by jury. He is represented by T. Brody Kempton of Kempton & Russell in Sedalia.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri case number: 4:26-cv-00225
