Recently, a jury awarded a man $12.25 million in a medical malpractice trial. The award was based on a surgical error.
According to reports, the man underwent unnecessary prostate surgery. The surgery was performed following a diagnostic error. The man was told he had cancer after a pathologist mixed up the tissue sample slides, and incorrectly diagnosed him with the disease.
Medical malpractice can occur in a wide variety of circumstances. They may include prescription errors, surgical errors and anesthesia errors, among others. However, one of the leading causes behind medical malpractice is misdiagnoses/communication errors. In this instance, the pathologist’s error in misdiagnosing the cancer, led to catastrophic results, the jury determined.
The unnecessary surgery to remove the man’s prostate gland damaged nerves in the area, leaving the plaintiff impotent and incontinent. The man’s diagnosis was made after the pathologist mixed up slides – telling the healthy patient he had cancer and the surgery was necessary.
When you see a health care provider, the first step in obtaining the care you need is obtaining a proper diagnosis. A delay in diagnosis, a misdiagnosis, or a mixed-up diagnosis can have catastrophic results.
For more information, or if you or someone you love has been harmed due to a medical misdiagnosis, please contact the Los Angeles medical malpractice attorneys at Bostwick Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.
