Medical Malpractice Results in 27-Year-Old Woman’s Death
In 2007 a 27-year old Nevada woman died from complications of cancer. The big news is her doctor misdiagnosed her on several occasions. After a long court trial a jury awarded the woman’s family $2.5 million in a medical malpractice suit. The suit is thought to be the largest in the last five years.
Elisa Sanchez knew something was wrong when she found blood in her stool and was having pain whenever she needed to use the bathroom. When she went to her local doctor, Steven Lampinen, for help he repeatedly told her she was suffering from hemorrhoids. Three years later Sanchez died of colon cancer, not hemorrhoids.
The jury found that Lampinen was responsible for the negligence that contributed to her death and that he “fell below the standard of care.” Nevada caps how much a medical malpractice lawsuit awards at $350,000 for pain and suffering. The jury awarded $2 million in economic losses and future lost wages.
Tags: cancer, malpractice, Medical Malpractice, misdiagnosis, wrongful death
