Breast cancer is a highly deadly and often misdiagnosed condition. A misdiagnosis can easily lead to delayed treatment and the condition getting much worse. That’s exactly what happened to a Miami mother, who was just awarded a $21.6 million verdict in her medical malpractice case.
In this issue, we’ll talk about what happened.
The Case at a Glance
The mother, who at one time had worked as an emergency room nurse, found a lump in her left breast through self-examination. During a follow-up exam with a doctor, however, a technician failed to point a transducer over the area where the mother had originally had felt the lump.
That one mistake set off a series of incidents that lead doctors away from truly diagnosing the mother’s breast cancer – which in turn delayed her treatment even further.
When doctors missed the suspected lump, they mistakenly thought her symptoms of redness, pain and a change in skin color were attributed to mastitis, an infection of the breast.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis Comes Too Late
Over the course of a year, the mother underwent several more ultrasounds before another doctor decided to take a biopsy. It was only then that breast cancer was confirmed, and tragically, her options for treatment had been trimmed to surgery and chemotherapy.
Even after having both breasts removed and undergoing chemotherapy treatments, she only has months to live.
How the Jury Ruled
After deliberations, the jury awarded the mother the $21.6 million verdict. They found the facility where the misdiagnosis was made to be 85% responsible and the first doctor who missed the diagnosis 15% responsible.
Confidential settlements were reached with other involved parties.
How Breast Cancer Diagnoses Are Missed
The misdiagnosis of breast cancer is actually quite common, and typically occur when doctors fail to take into consideration input from the patient that can lead to identifying breast cancer.
Common symptoms of breast cancer include:
- Presence of a suspicious mass
- Discharge from nipple
- Breast pain
- Breast reddening
Think You Have Been Misdiagnosed With Breast Cancer? Call The Fitzgerald Law Firm
If your breast cancer has been misdiagnosed, we’ll take whatever legal action is necessary to make sure you’re compensated for suffering, financial burdens, emotional turmoil and loss of wages.
Call The Fitzgerald Law Firm at 800-323-9900 for a free consultation.