A jury in another state has awarded $3 million to a man’s estate. The award came after a 2008 misdiagnoses that led to the man’s death in May 2009. Illinois residents may be interested in the outcome of this type of case.
His wife, who was also the executor of the estate, sued both the cardiologist and his general practitioner although he was not listed as a defendant. However, the jury decided that the general practitioner was 60 percent at fault and the cardiologist was 40 percent at fault. They awarded the widow a total of $3 million. This means that the cardiologist will have to pay $1.2 million.
The lawsuit stated that the 67-year-old man died from a heart condition that is called aortic stenosis. This is a progressive disease that will cause the opening to narrow in the aortic valve. However, the condition was not considered serious enough after the January 24, 2008, echocardiogram because the doctor who read those results stated that the stenosis looked like it was more severe in the images than it what the measurements indicated.
At that time, his doctor sent him to a cardiologist, who then sent the man for a stress test, which did not show any defects, but it did reveal a reduction in his heart function. The cardiologist failed to view the echocardiogram images and sent the man back to his primary doctor without any recommendations for treatment for the aortic stenosis. He did, however, suggest medication for the man.
Illinois residents who are facing a medical situation where there could have been misdiagnoses may wish to pursue a suit against the doctors who are responsible. They may benefit by speaking with an attorney who is experienced in medical malpractice cases. The attorney can guide them on the steps to take and can explain to them their options in a suit. There are times when a misdiagnosis is not evident until after the death of a loved one, but those left behind can still make a change in how the practice moves forward.
Source: courant.com, “Jury Awards $3 Million In Medical Malpractice Case”, Christine Dempsey, June 26, 2015
