Lawsuit: Woman Left With Disfiguring Burns After Surgical Fire

A Swedish woman is suing the Nebraska Medical Center over a 2009 procedure that she says sparked a fire and left her with disfiguring burns.

The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Omaha says the Omaha hospital was negligent in its care of Malgorzata Jakobsson, who needs cosmetic surgery to reduce burn scars on her face, head and body.

The lawsuit Jakobsson suffers from thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that compresses the blood vessels near the collarbone, and she sought a special treatment at the Omaha hospital. The lawsuit says she awoke from the February 2009 procedure in pain and with burns.

Spokesman Paul Baltes says the hospital is sorry for the fire and has taken steps to prevent them in the future.

Jakobsson is seeking more than $75,000 in damages. She's requested a jury trial.