Veteran receives $1.93 million after medical malpractice trial

On Behalf of | Jan 31, 2018 | VA Hospital Negligence

He served our nation as a Marine during the Vietnam War and then came how to deliver the mail for more than three decades. So he has put in his time for Uncle Sam, and then some.

The 69-year-old veteran was recently awarded $1.93 million after a four-day medical malpractice trial that centered on allegations that doctors and employees at a VA hospital failed to diagnose and treat his prostate cancer in a timely manner.

According to court documents, the veteran began prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening nearly 20 years ago, at age 50. His tests were in the normal range until April 2009, when he went to a primary care doctor at the VA.

Tests the doctor ordered that day returned elevated PSA counts and she recommended active monitoring of his levels for the next six months.

In October of 2009, he saw a urologist who determined that the vet’s PSA level had risen. The doctor’s impression at the time was that his patient “had a 42 percent chance of having prostate cancer.”

The vet then saw his primary care physician, who did not mention the importance of returning to see the urologist. The veteran then saw a certified physician’s assistant several times over the next months. His PSA levels continued to rise on tests administered.

By the time a biopsy was performed in 2013, he tested positive for metastatic prostate cancer. The doctor who performed the biopsy testified at the malpractice trial, stating that if a biopsy had been performed during those first four years after the initial elevated PSA count, it was likely that cancer would have been detected, been smaller in size, and more easily treated.

The judge in the case awarded the veteran $1.93 million and costs.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a negligent doctor or VA hospital employee, speak with an attorney experienced in litigation involving misdiagnosis, surgical errors or medication errors.