When someone in Texas seeks medical advice or treatment based on a concern, they expect to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, sometimes healthcare providers dismiss a patient’s concerns, which can lead to a failure to diagnose a serious medical issue. When this happens, the outcome can be devastating for the patient. A woman in another state faced such a situation and filed a medical malpractice lawsuit for failure to diagnose her breast cancer.
Details of the lawsuit
The young woman who filed the lawsuit initially visited a medical center twice because she was concerned about a lump on her breast. The nurse practitioner told the woman that the lump was benign and did not order any testing or further examinations to determine the cause of the lump. Nine months after the initial visit, the woman was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, significantly reducing the young woman’s life expectancy and robbing her of what would have been a much better chance for a cure. Instead of a lumpectomy, the young woman also had to undergo bilateral mastectomy.
The malpractice victim was required to file a medical malpractice suit against the nurse practitioner and the facility in order to obtain accountability and justice. After deliberating for only an hour and half, the jury returned a verdict for $18 million dollars.
A missed cancer diagnosis can be devastating
In many cases, cancer treatments are more successful – even curative – when the cancer is caught early. A delay in diagnosis can be a serious concern. When cancers are not timely caught, patients may face longer and more invasive treatments and, in some cases, like this one, a delayed diagnosis can mean a shorter life expectancy or death. Texas residents who haven’t been diagnosed promptly, or who believe to be a victim of medical malpractice, can benefit from speaking with an experienced attorney to see what legal options they have.