Bellaire doctor sued over spinal surgery

A man is suing after, he says, his doctor botched his spinal surgery.

Kerry Jelks filed a lawsuit on Dec. 14 in Harris County District Court against Navin Subramanian, M.D., and Orthopedic Associates, at 5420 W. Loop S. in Bellaire, alleging negligence and gross negligence.

Jelks says that after he hurt his neck in a fall in 2007, he sought treatment from Subramanian, who performed a procedure removing a disk from Jelk’s spine and inserting fixed metal hardware. According to the brief, during surgery, the defendant tore the dura around Jelk’s spinal cord, causing irreversible partial paralysis and loss of muscle control.

Jelks is seeking compensatory and exemplary damages, as well as court costs. He is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Arthur Feldman.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2010-81212.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.