<court>Kings County (NY) Supreme Court</court>
In October 1996, a 40-year-old woman presented to her physician for a mammogram, which the doctor interpreted as normal.
In September 1997, the woman returned to her doctor complaining of pain and a mass in her breast. A mammogram revealed cancer, which had metastasized to her bones. She later died.
In suing, the patient’s family claimed the physician failed to properly read the 1996 mammogram, thereby delaying diagnosis of her disease. The doctor contended that the mass was aggressive and had developed after the 1996 mammogram.
- Prior to the return of the jury verdict, the defense agreed to a high/low settlement, with a minimum payment of $100,000. The jury later returned a verdict for the defense.
The cases presented here were compiled by Lewis L. Laska, editor of Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts. While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.