Early diagnosis is crucial to effectively treat cancer and many other potentially fatal illnesses. While most doctors are conscientious professionals whose primary concern is the health and well-being of their patients, doctors are not immune to mistakes. A doctor’s failure to order a test or simply misreading a scan could be detrimental to a patient’s health, especially if the doctor fails to diagnose a serious illness like cancer.
That was the claim in a lawsuit recently settled in Ohio. In 2004, a Westerville woman went to the Ohio State University Medical Center for a CAT scan. According to the lawsuit, the images from the scan showed a cancerous growth in her pelvis, but the radiologist at OSU failed to detect cancer.
Six years after that scan, the woman was diagnosed with bone cancer. She went back to OSU for surgery, but according to her legal claim, cancer spread despite the procedure, and she did not receive any follow-up treatment.
She subsequently had to undergo more cancer-related surgeries.
The medical center agreed to settle the lawsuit by paying the woman $800,000. In late March, a judge approved the settlement.
If you believe that a doctor has misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose you or a loved one, then you may want to speak with a lawyer with experience in investigating medical mistakes. Medical professionals are often reluctant to admit that they have made an error, even if the mistake has caused great harm to a patient. A medical malpractice lawyer can investigate the case, determine if or when an error was made, and seek the maximum in compensation for your injury.