Oregon hospital sued after man’s face caught fire mid-surgery

Family of John Michael Murdoch demanding $900,000 for incident that occurred while he was allegedly awake

The family of a man in Oregon is demanding $900,000 from the hospital where his face caught on fire mid-surgery while he was allegedly awake.

The allegations are contained in a malpractice lawsuit filed by the wife of John Michael Murdoch against Oregon Health and Science University, as reported by the Oregonian. The lawsuit maintains Murdoch's ordeal unfolded as he was undergoing surgery in 2022 while being treated for squamous cell carcinoma - a cancer of the tongue. Medical staff failed to let alcohol swabbed on his face dry properly, and his face ignited, according to the lawsuit.