Oregon Woman Sues Kaiser Permanente for $13 Million, Alleging Doctor Injected Rubbing Alcohol Instead of Anesthetic

A woman in Oregon has filed a $13 million lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente, alleging that a podiatrist injected rubbing alcohol into her toes instead of a local anesthetic before removing two ingrown toenails.

Sarah Blackman, a Washington County resident, went to Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in January 2026 for the toenail-removal procedure, according to court documents cited by KGW.

The lawsuit alleges that the doctor was supposed to inject lidocaine, a local anesthetic, to numb the area. Instead, Blackman claims she was injected with rubbing alcohol.

According to the Lawsuit, the doctor injected 4 millilitres of 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol into each affected toe before removing the toenails. The lawsuit further alleges that the procedure began without the doctor first checking whether Blackman’s toes were numb.

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Blackman alleges that she experienced severe pain during the procedure, screamed and cried, and begged the doctor to stop.

According to the lawsuit, the doctor told her to “just get it over with,” said he was in a rush to leave the clinic, and continued despite her pleas.

These claims are allegations contained in ongoing litigation and have not been established by a court.

Blackman says she returned home after the procedure but remained in pain for days. According to the lawsuit, her feet began to swell, and her toes changed color.

About a week later, Blackman went to an emergency room, according to her attorneys. Court filings state that she was hospitalized for two nights, during which medical staff treated her for what they believed were an infection and dead tissue.

It was reported that medical staff treated her for what they believed were an infection and dead tissue. According to the lawsuit, those healthcare providers did not know about the alleged rubbing alcohol injections at the time.

Blackman claims the incident caused severe and permanent injuries. The nature and extent of those alleged injuries remain matters raised in the lawsuit and have not been independently established through a court finding.

According to the lawsuit, Kaiser later contacted Blackman in March 2026 and told her that she had been injected with rubbing alcohol.

Blackman alleges that Kaiser said it would send her a written letter explaining what had happened. She claims she never received the letter.

The lawsuit accuses Kaiser of attempting to conceal the cause of her injuries. This is an allegation by the plaintiff and has not been proven in court.

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Blackman is suing Kaiser Permanente for $13 million.

KGW identified the doctor named in the lawsuit as Dr. Colin Mizuo. The outlet reported that it contacted Mizuo for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

The lawsuit remains a pending legal matter. The allegations against Kaiser Permanente, the doctor and the medical group have not been proven in court.

(Rh/ARC/MSM)