The LASIKPlus lawsuit that drew the most attention in 2026 was a Colorado malpractice case that ended in an $8.03 million jury verdict against parent company LCA-Vision, Inc. But that verdict is only one piece of a broader legal record: LASIKPlus has also paid $1.25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges of deceptive “bait-and-switch” advertising, and more than a dozen current and former surgeons have accused the chain of pressuring them to prioritize volume over patient safety.
The $8 Million Colorado Malpractice Verdict
Nicholas Lara was 24 and a commercial pilot when he went to the LASIKPlus office in Lakewood, Colorado on June 5, 2023 for a LASIK consultation. An optometrist at the clinic deemed him an “ideal candidate.” Three days later, Dr. Frank Rosenbaum performed LASIK on both of his eyes.1Krouner Law. LASIKPlus and Its Doctors Sued for Medical Malpractice
According to the complaint Lara filed in Jefferson County District Court in January 2025, his pre-operative corneal topography scans showed signs of keratoconus, a progressive thinning of the cornea that is a well-established contraindication for LASIK. He was cleared anyway, and told he would fly with “more than perfect vision.”2The Denver Post. Lakewood LASIK Malpractice Pilot
After surgery, Lara developed post-LASIK ectasia, an incurable corneal disease, in both eyes. The FAA requires commercial pilots to maintain 20/20 best-corrected visual acuity in each eye; even a slip to 20/25 in one eye can end a pilot’s career.3Krouner Law. Jefferson County Colorado Jury Returns Record $8 Million Verdict
At trial in February 2026, a key piece of evidence involved a Pentacam ophthalmic screening device. Evidence showed its settings had been changed from the manufacturer’s defaults, reducing the number of visible warning flags from six to one. Lara’s attorney, Todd J. Krouner, argued the change reflected a “high volume business model” that “placed patient profit above patient safety.”4Law Week Colorado. Trial Talk: LASIK Case Tests Boundaries of Colorado Damages Law
On February 11, 2026, the jury found LASIKPlus negligent for failing to implement adequate training and pre-operative screening, and assigned it 75% of the responsibility. The total award of $8,030,000 broke down as:
- $7,200,000 for the present value of future economic loss, reflecting Lara’s lost earning capacity as a pilot
- $600,000 for past and future pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement
- $130,000 for future medical expenses, mostly the scleral contact lenses he will need for life
The jury cleared the optometrist, Dr. Gary Bircham, of all claims.5PRWeb. Record $8 Million Verdict Against LCA-Vision
Why Colorado’s Damages Cap Didn’t Slash the Award
Colorado’s Health Care Availability Act ordinarily caps economic damages in medical malpractice cases at $1 million. LASIKPlus argued the cap applied, which would have cut the $7.2 million economic damages figure by more than 85%. On April 16, 2026, the Jefferson County judge ruled that “good cause” existed to exceed the cap and that applying it would be “unfair.” The court pointed to the permanent nature of Lara’s injury, his projected 43-year working life, the “uniquely high” earning capacity he lost as a commercial pilot, and the fact that LASIKPlus had barely challenged the plaintiff’s evidence on projected earnings.4Law Week Colorado. Trial Talk: LASIK Case Tests Boundaries of Colorado Damages Law
Final judgment entered the same day totaled $7,333,662.26, consisting of $5,797,500 in damages after the 75% apportionment and $1,536,162.26 in prejudgment interest, plus costs. As of the court’s April 2026 order, LASIKPlus had not filed an appeal.6Krouner Law. Order Re: Plaintiff’s Motion for Entry of Final Judgment
The FTC Bait-and-Switch Settlement
Separate from the malpractice litigation, LASIKPlus paid $1.25 million in 2023 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertising was deceptive. The FTC charged LCA-Vision with promoting LASIK for as low as $250 per eye at LASIKPlus locations and $295 at Joffe MediCenter locations, when only 6.5% of consumers who came in for consultations qualified for that promotional price in both eyes, and only 1.3% actually received the procedure at that price. Most consumers were quoted between $1,800 and $2,295 per eye.7Federal Trade Commission. FTC Order Requires LasikPlus to Pay for Its Bait-and-Switch Eye Surgery Ads
The FTC quoted internal communications describing the promotional pricing as a “dirty little secret” used to “get people in the door.” To qualify, patients typically needed a prescription of -1.00 diopter or less with minimal astigmatism, a threshold most consumers didn’t meet. Those requirements were often buried in fine print, and consumers had to sit through lengthy full-dilation eye exams before learning the actual price.8Federal Register. LCA-Vision Analysis of Proposed Consent Order
The FTC voted 3-1 to accept the consent agreement, finalized in March 2023. It bars future deceptive advertising and requires the company for the next 20 years to disclose in its ads whether prices are per eye, what price most consumers actually pay, and any qualifications needed for a promotional discount. LCA-Vision did not admit or deny the allegations.9Federal Trade Commission. LCA-Vision Inc. d/b/a LasikPlus Case Page
In February 2024, the FTC mailed nearly 160,000 claim forms to consumers who had visited a LASIKPlus or Joffe MediCenter for a consultation but declined surgery after learning the real price. By October 2024, the agency had distributed more than $1.1 million in refunds.10Federal Trade Commission. FTC Sends Almost 160,000 Claim Forms to Consumers
Surgeon Allegations About Volume Pressure
The Lara case fit a pattern that LASIKPlus’s own surgeons had described publicly years earlier. A November 2021 Wall Street Journal investigation reported that current and former LASIKPlus doctors alleged the company “put profits over patient care.”11The Wall Street Journal. Dominant Eye Surgery Chain LasikPlus Put Profits Over Patient Care, Some Doctors Say
Dr. Sanjay Goel, a former medical advisory board member who spent 20 years with the chain before leaving in 2019, alleged the company pressured him to perform up to 100 procedures per day. Four other surgeons said they were pushed to join a “100 Eye Club.” More than a dozen current and former surgeons described similar volume pressure. Several sued the company for pressuring them to approve patients who weren’t suitable candidates; Goel’s suit was settled. Surgeons also raised concerns that LASIKPlus preferred to perform surgery on the same day or in the same week as a patient’s initial consultation, leaving little time for careful screening.12Becker’s ASC Review. LasikPlus Surgeons at Odds Over Performance Metrics
CEO Craig Joffe acknowledged that the company had previously distributed memos identifying clinics with “below average candidacy rates” and highlighting more “aggressive surgeons,” but said the company had stopped circulating those metrics. Joffe denied any corporate involvement in patient selection and said clinical decisions were made by “independent physicians” who were “in 100 percent control” of patient care. Roughly 20% of the chain’s surgeons left in 2019 alone.12Becker’s ASC Review. LasikPlus Surgeons at Odds Over Performance Metrics
Who LASIKPlus Is
LASIKPlus is the flagship brand of LCA-Vision, Inc., a Cincinnati-based corporation founded in the 1980s by Dr. Stephen N. Joffe. His son, Craig Joffe, is CEO and repurchased the business in 2015 after it had fallen out of family control amid financial difficulties. The company describes itself as a “confederation” that provides marketing, billing, and scheduling support while independent physicians handle clinical decisions.13NAMD Journal of Medicine. Dominant Eye Surgery Chain LasikPlus Put Profits Over Patient Care
In August 2020, LCA-Vision bought the assets of Vision Group Holdings, which had controlled the only two other national LASIK chains, out of bankruptcy for $35 million. As of mid-2026, LCA-Vision manages roughly 140 locations across brands including LASIKPlus and Joffe MediCenter.14Bloomberg Law. Bankrupt Lasik Provider Approved for Private Sale to Competitor