In about 60 cases, the lawsuits demanded $100,000 or more from patients. Some patients were found liable for tens of thousands of dollars in interest charges or wound up shackled with debt that could take a decade or more to shake.
Seven months after Lahavah Wallace's weight loss operation, a New York bariatric surgery practice sued her, accusing her of "intentionally" failing to pay nearly $18,000 of her bill.