Lawsuit For Colon Cancer Death Of 27 Year Old When Doctor Dismissed Her Complaints Of Symptoms

Lawsuit For Colon Cancer Death Of 27 Year Old When Doctor Dismissed Her Complaints Of Symptoms

By:


Statistically less than one percent people diagnosed with colon cancer are younger than 35. However, because of the fact that colon cancer can kill physicians typically agree that the presence of rectal bleeding, even in a patient under 35, needs to be followed by a colonoscopy so as to establish if the bleeding from a tumor.. Merely assuming that the blood is caused by hemorrhoids may constitute malpractice.

Consider what happened in a documented case involving a woman who complained to her primary care physician that she had blood in her stool and felt pain as she had bowel movements. The woman was just twenty four. The doctor, just\without even conducting an examination, prescribed a laxative after diagnosing her with diarrhea and other bowel issues. The woman returned four months later claiming she had constipation, pain and problems sitting. Now the doctor at last examined her but assured her she had hemorrhoids. His treatment: an enema. The woman went back to the doctor on 2 additional occassions and every time was reassured that she merely had hemorrhoids and she had nothing to worry about.

She had to be hurried to an emergency room complaining of severe pain seven months after her first visit to her primary care physician. They set her up for a colonoscopy at which time she was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer. The woman had surgery (which because of the how far the cancer had advanced included not just taking out a portion of her colon but also of her uterus and part of the lower intestines). The surgery was subsequently followed by chemotherapy. The woman subsequently had a recurrence and passed away from the disease less than three years later. She was survived by her husband and daughter, a minor.

The law firm that represented the family revealed that the case went to trail and the jury returned a verdict of $2.5 million. The award included $350,000 the largest amount permitted for pain and suffering by the law of the State where the physician practices. The rest of the amount was for future lost wages. This case illustrates what may be the most prevalent medical mistake regarding the delayed diagnosis of colon cancer.

If a situation like that above occurs and the person dies for the reason that the cancer spread so far that a cure was no longer possible because of the delay in diagnosis the surviving family might be able to bring a lawsuit against the physician responsible for the delay.

About the Author:
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting medical malpractice cases and wrongful death cases. You can learn more about cases involving colon cancer and other cancer matters including stage 4 breast cancer by visiting the website



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Legal Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.