The surgeon who last week lost a $1.75 million medial malpractice claim by a Warner man intends to appeal, his attorneys said. Meanwhile, the surgeon's supervisors are standing by him.

Concord attorney Emily Rice of Orr & Reno said Dr. Eric Leefmans, who is affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic in Concord, provided excellent care when he operated on Randolph Hinz, 42, following a car accident in 2003.

Hinz sued Leefmans and two other doctors in 2006, three years after crashing his car on Interstate 89. He was thrown 150 feet and suffered multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung.

Leefmans was a member of the trauma team that treated Hinz in the emergency room at Concord Hospital.

Hinz alleged in his lawsuit that doctors erred by treating his leg fractures before giving him blood to stabilize his condition, causing him to go blind because of the blood loss.

Leefmans's attorneys disputed that at trial.

A Merrimack County Superior Court jury awarded Hinz $1.75 million plus about $200,000 in interest, according to the Associated Press.

Jurors found that Leefmans was 100 percent responsible and that the other two doctors named in the lawsuit were not at fault.

Initial news reports of the verdict in the Union Leader and the Associated Press quoted Hinz's lawyer, Suzanne McDonough of Boston, saying Hinz's leg surgery could have waited until after his more serious blood loss was treated.

A statement was issued Friday by Rice and David Gould of Boston, who represented Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital.

"Our clients provided excellent care to the plaintiff after his motor vehicle accident, and we are therefore disappointed at the jury's verdict against the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic and Dr. Leefmans," the statement said.

The statement also pointed to one of the hospital's witnesses, a neuro-ophthalmology expert from Johns Hopkins who testified that Hinz's injury was not caused by Leefmans's medical care.

The statement also quoted Dr. Elizabeth Smith, medical director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic in Concord.

"Dr. Leefmans is a dedicated and highly trained surgeon who provides outstanding care to our patients in all phases of surgical care," she said.

"We are extremely fortunate to have a surgeon of Dr. Leefmans's skill and professionalism chairing our department of surgery and caring for our patients. Dr. Leefmans has our complete confidence and support."