When the patient initially visited St. Luke’s in 2015 for pain in his right side and abdomen and trouble urinating, doctors ordered a scan of his abdomen. In addition to the kidney stones, the scan showed a rounded area of high density in his bladder, which suggested the presence of a tumor. However, none of the doctors who treated him, or any other healthcare provider from St. Luke’s Physician Group, Inc., or St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown Campus, shared the radiologist’s findings with the patient. The doctors also failed to inform the patient’s primary care physician of the scan results, refer the patient to specialists for further studies, or develop a plan for follow-up treatment.
In 2017, the patient went in for an ultrasound of his bladder, which revealed multiple tumors and bladder cancer. The patient’s bladder and prostate had to be surgically removed. He also had to undergo chemotherapy. If the doctors had communicated the radiologist’s findings earlier, argued the patient, he could have avoided an invasive surgical procedure and grueling chemotherapy. According to the patient’s lawyer, the possible tumor that the 2015 scan revealed was the same cancerous tumor that was found in the 2017 ultrasound. The delayed diagnosis also caused him physical and emotional pain and lowered his life expectancy.
The jury found the healthcare provider who treated the patient in 2015 to be 60 percent responsible for negligence. The jury ruled an emergency medicine doctor to be 25 percent responsible and determined the patient to be 15 percent responsible. The jury awarded $10 million in total damages, of which the patient and his wife received $8.5 million.
If you or someone you know has been injured while under the care of a healthcare professional, and you believe negligence was involved, you are urged to contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C. To schedule a confidential consultation, call us today at 215-574-0600 or contact us online. We represent clients throughout South Jersey and the greater Philadelphia region.