Failure To Diagnose Lung Cancer: $2M Settlement

Defendant Primary Care physician failed to order annual low dose screening chest CT scans based purely on her past smoking history. Thereafter, in 2018, the plaintiff had a CT scan of her chest for unrelated reasons that found an area of abnormality in her lower left lung. A CT scan of her chest was recommended by the radiologist. The chest CT scan found an abnormality and recommended a follow up CT scan in three months. That test was never ordered by the PCP at any time from then over the next 4 years. In January 2022 the plaintiff presented to the ER with severe shortness of breath and back pain. She was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer that metastasized to her bones. She was 58 at the time of her diagnosis. There was limited malpractice insurance available.