A multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit was filed earlier this month in Maricopa County Superior Court against Snowflake resident Sandra Brimhall and 17 other defendants for referrals and after-care received for weight loss surgeries done in Tijuana at the hands of Dr. Mario Almanza.
The Tribune-News reported the story in October of last year of Jessie Ballandby, a Show Low woman whose health continues to suffer after a botched weight loss surgery performed by Almanza. Ballandby claims that she had traveled to Mexico on the advice of Brimhall and sustained permanent life-threatening injuries.
Other defendants named in the lawsuit include the Show Low School District where Brimhall was employed as the principal of Whipple Ranch Elementary School. Emails obtained by The Tribune-News show that Brimhall dubbed herself the “Weight Coyote” in emails sent from SLUSD account, and appeared to recruit referrals utilizing district resources during business hours.
Others who joined Ballandby in filing the lawsuit include Justin Blackburn, Carson Miller, Sheli Stoddard and Sunshine Brewer, who claim negligence, fraud, misrepresentation, violation of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress on behalf of themselves and possibly 6,000 other patients.
The class action alleges that the plaintiffs sustained long term physical, emotional, and mental effects after either utilizing the referral service provided by Brimhall, the surgeries performed by Dr. Almanza, the aftercare treatment received by Fill Centers, and other services provided by the defendants. Dr. Almanza was not named in the lawsuit as the surgeries were performed outside of the U.S.
