$6.9 Million Jury Verdict for the Medical Malpractice in the Late Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Leanna Loud was 39 years old when she underwent a digital mammogram. The radiologist and defendant, Dr. Jeffrey Short, an employee of Charleston Radiologists, read the mammogram as showing dystrophic calcifications in the right breast; this was not present on an earlier mammogram.

Dr. Short characterized the calcifications as benign and did not order any additional testing.

Approximately 2 years later, she discovered a lump in her right breast. She was diagnosed as having Stage III invasive ductal carcinoma.

In spite of chemotherapy and radiation, her prognosis is terminal.

Loud and her husband filed suit against Dr. Short and Charleston Radiologists, his practice, alleging his failure to timely diagnose breast cancer. The plaintiffs charged that Dr. Short and the clinic chose not to appreciate the clinical findings and chose not to order the appropriate testing such as a diagnostic mammogram followed by a biopsy.

The jury awarded the plaintiffs $6.9 million in damages, which included $700,000 for the loss of consortium for Loud’s husband.

The attorney representing the Loud family was attorney John E. Fulda.

Loud v. Short, No. 2013-CP-10-5902 (S.C. Ct. Com. Pleas Charleston County, Jan. 20, 2016).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling misdiagnosis of cancer cases, medical negligence cases, hospital negligence cases, birth trauma litigation, birth injury cases and nursing home negligence cases for individuals and families who have been injured or killed by the negligence of a medical provider for more than 40 years, in and around Chicago, Cook County, Will County, McHenry County, Lake County, DuPage County and Kendall County, and its surrounding areas including, Schaumburg, Worth, Winnetka, Willow Springs, Riverside, Richton Park, Park Ridge, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palatine, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Olympia Fields, Matteson, Melrose Park and Lincolnwood, Ill.

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