Failure to be properly diagnosed by a doctor in Maryland can unfortunately lead to one's death. This is the situation that one man's family members faced after they claimed that physician negligence led to their loved one's death. The case, which had gone to trial, was recently settled by the health care system and independent doctors' offices involved in the medical malpractice case.
The family of the man claimed that a particular doctor did nothing after a couple of X-rays of the man's chest that were taken in 2009, as well as 2010, revealed a potential mass in the man's left lung. The man ended up dying of cancer in the lung. The family said this disease should have been caught and treated after his first X-ray raised red flags.
The doctors at the clinic that was sued denied liability in the matter, which led to the scheduling of a jury trial that was slated to take place in April 2015. Prior to the trial, however, the defendants decided to file a petition requesting that a judge approve a case settlement of $1.3 million. The judge ended up signing off on this agreement. Lawyers then prepared an order requesting that the lawsuit, which was still pending in a different court, be dismissed, and this order was signed by another judge.
If doctors in Maryland do not exercise a reasonable degree of care in diagnosing patients' conditions and the patients end up dying, the surviving family members of the patients might choose to file claims alleging physician negligence. A financial award may help to not only cover a deceased patient's funeral costs but also address emotional distress and pain and suffering caused by the incident. Liability needs to be established before a civil court judge will award compensation for damages.