The Duke University medical malpractice trial set to begin this month has just been postponed. The lawsuit, filed by numerous patients came about as the result of a now-discredited researcher who conducted clinical trials concerning cancer. According to the malpractice complaint, Anil Potti conducted the research under false pretenses, treated patients' cancer improperly, and subjected patients to unnecessary chemotherapy.
The research purported to come up with a new method to predict how individual patients would respond to particular chemotherapy drugs and thus create more effective treatment plans. However, the research allegedly contained several flaws, including errors such as mislabeling, which could lead to patients receiving the wrong treatment, as well as keeping patients on chemotherapy who had already been treated. In addition to physical damages, the lawsuit also asserted mental and emotional distress.
According to reports, Potti came to work at the Duke Hospital under false pretenses – having falsified information both on his resume as well as well as in the study. A third year medical student who initially raised concerns about the research was discouraged from pursuing the matter, and was threatened with losing his own funding if he continued. The medical student subsequently resigned and the clinical trials continued.
The trial is supposed to get under way shortly.
Medical malpractice can take a number of forms. It may include errors in diagnosis, surgical mistakes, or as alleged here, gross misconduct If you believe you have been harmed by the actions of a medical malpractice professional, we urge you to consult with a dedicated Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney at once to evaluate your case and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
