Most Illinois residents are aware that diagnosis mistakes can lead to more injuries and sometimes death. Two doctors and an orthopedic center have been faced with a lawsuit filed by one of their patients. The woman filed the suit after the doctors’ alleged failure to diagnose her with a cancerous tumor that ultimately spread to her lungs.
According to reports, the woman started to experience pain and it was becoming difficult for her to move her left knee. Eventually, she visited an orthopedic center where she met with one of the doctors. The doctor ordered an X-ray for her knee and it was determined that there may be an issue of cancer. Later on, the doctor allegedly ordered an MRI, but it was for the wrong knee and this resulted in no issues being determined.
The woman later visited a different doctor at another facility. The doctor did another exam which revealed that there was an issue with her knee and the possibility of cancer. However, he apparently based his diagnosis on the initial MRI which was done on the wrong knee. Eventually, she was diagnosed by a specialist with osteosarcoma of her left leg, which developed into stage three cancer in her lungs.
The woman is asking for the recovery of more than $25,000. According to the lawsuit, the defendants were negligent and their failure to diagnose decreased her survival rate by 70 percent. In addition, she allegedly has permanent injuries and she is expected to incur more medical bills in the future. Illinois patients who received wrong diagnoses that caused more injuries may have the right to file medical malpractice claims against the doctor and/or facility to recoup damages suffered.
Source: limaohio.com, “Coldwater woman files medical malpractice lawsuit”, Greg Sowinski, July 22, 2014
