A Joplin woman was awarded a six figure verdict in a case of delayed diagnosis of cancer.

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Linda Lawson was awarded a compensation of $640,000 by a Jasper County jury. The jury agreed that Linda Lawson’s non-Hodgkins lymphoma should have been detected much earlier by Southwest Radiology before it had started to spread to other parts of the body. The erroneous CT scan reading caused a delay in diagnosis and the cancer spread to other parts of the body. The delay in diagnosis necessitated extensive treatment, which could have been avoided had the cancer been diagnosed in a timely manner.

Failure to Diagnose

Lawson’s attorney argued that due to the failure to diagnose the tumors in time, they expanded in size to over ten times, affecting other body parts including the bone. The attorney also claimed that although Lawson’s medical condition was aggressive, it could have been managed if it had been detected in time. However, a delay of 121 days in the diagnosis caused the cancer to proliferate throughout the body, spreading everywhere except for the brain.

According to the petition filed by Linda Lawson, she started to experience pain in the leg and lower back in February 2010. She went through a CT scan the same month and then again in the month of April. In her petition, she contended that the Southwest radiology should have diagnosed the pelvic mass. However, the condition was diagnosed only in June, after a delay of almost 121 days.

 Extensive Treatments Needed

Her cancer was diagnosed only when it had reached an alarming condition and she was at the brink of death. She was rushed to a speciality cancer center in Texas, where she was provided extensive treatment. Due to the grave stage that the cancer had reached, she had to be given a more toxic medication to deal with the condition. She also had to bear painful lumbar punctures in the spine. Her attorney contended that Lawson’s condition came under control only after she had gone through numerous rounds of chemotherapy.

If your or your loved one has experienced similar medical negligence, contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to file a lawsuit and fight for the losses you have suffered due to the negligence of a medical caregiver.

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