Local News in Brief : 2 Podiatrists to Pay $100,100 in Malpractice

Two Valley podiatrists were ordered to pay a total of $100,100 Tuesday to a Van Nuys woman after they admitted to medical malpractice in a case involving foot surgery in 1982.

A jury in the courtroom of Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Joel Rudof awarded the money to Sylvia Bonnie Leff, 57, who testified that she walks with a limp because her left foot is now deformed.

Leff had gone to the Weber Podiatry Group in Granada Hills in 1982 for treatment of a bunion on the large toe of her left foot. Dr. John Stainkamp, a podiatrist, removed the bunion, causing an existing infection to spread into the bone of her toe, according to testimony.

Although he did not assist in the operation, Dr. Garey Lee Weber was also named in the lawsuit because he was Stainkamp’s employer.

Several months after the operation, Leff consulted doctors at the Medical Center of North Hollywood, who told her that an inch section of her toe would have to be removed to prevent further spread of the infection. Leff testified that she cannot wear high-heel shoes and is unable to play tennis.

The defendants admitted liability on Aug. 19, the opening day of the trial, leaving only the damage award to be decided by the jury. Leff’s attorney, David R. Glickman, had asked the jury to award her $400,000 to $500,000.