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Medical malpractice lawsuit for delayed cancer treatment

On Behalf of | Nov 7, 2017 | Medical Malpractice

Although many find information about medical conditions on the internet, most New York patients trust their doctors to know when treatment is essential and when it can be delayed. In some cases, a doctor may delay treating a patient’s condition in order to observe its progress in order to avoid a drastic procedure that may be unnecessary. However, if a doctor fails to treat a potentially life-threatening condition, the consequences may be tragic and a medical malpractice lawsuit may be appropriate.

One family in another state recently won a clear victory against a doctor whose miscommunication and delayed action likely cost the life of a loved one. The 70-year-old woman had a growth on her left kidney. Although her primary caregiver and her urologist considered the growth benign, the urologist had planned to operate to remove the kidney. However, both doctors opted to postpone the surgery and observe the growth for six months.

A few months later, the woman returned to her primary physician with complaints of back pain. The doctor’s scan showed a marked increase in the tumor’s size, and he recommended that the patient be evaluated by the urologist to rule out malignancy. However, he did not notify the urologist of his findings. When the patient returned to the urologist for the six-month follow-up, the aggressive tumor had already metastasized, and there was no option for treatment. She died four months later.

A jury in the medical malpractice lawsuit agreed that timely surgical intervention would likely have saved the woman’s life. They awarded the family an unprecedented $10 million. New York patients whose physicians delay treatment and prolong suffering may have questions about the potential for seeking legal recourse through the civil justice system. A compassionate attorney can provide guidance and assistance.

Source: thestate.com, “SC jury awards $10 million in fatal medical malpractice case”, John Monk, Nov. 2, 2017

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