$495,000 Jury Verdict After Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer Leads to Premature Death

Albert Ragin experienced unexplained weight loss and night sweating. At the time he was in his 80s. CT scans without contrast of his chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed a left kidney cyst, but there were no other kidney abnormalities.

About a year later, in 2013, a renal artery Doppler test showed a possible aortic dissection. Ragin subsequently underwent several CT scans with contrast.

An employee of the defendant in this case, Advanced Radiology, interpreted the CT scans as showing no aortic dissection and no kidney abnormalities except for the several cysts in both kidneys.

Nearly two years after the misread CT scans, Ragin was diagnosed as having metastatic kidney cancer. He died of the disease just 40 days after diagnosis. He was survived by his wife and three adult children.

Ragin’s wife, individually and on behalf of her husband’s estate, sued Advanced Radiology claiming liability for the employees choosing not to correctly diagnose the two masses in Ragin’s right kidney and the wrong interpretation of the 2013 CT scans.

The Ragin family argued that the Advanced Radiology’s employee failed to correctly diagnose the masses that caused Ragin’s treating physician to take no action while the cancer was spreading. The jury’s verdict was for $495,000.

The attorneys successfully handling this tragic case were Paul Bekman and Michael Smith.

Ragin v. Advanced Radiology, P.A., No. 03-C-2016-004676 (Md. Cr. Ct. Baltimore County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling medical malpractice lawsuits, wrongful death cases and hospital negligence cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been injured, harmed or killed by the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Oakbrook Terrace, Yorkfield, Westchester, Hillside, Bellwood, LaGrange, Countryside, Wheaton, Burr Ridge, Chicago (Midway, Marquette Park, Gresham, Burnside, Chatham, Calumet Heights, South Deering, Lake Calumet, Grand Crossing, East Side, Bronzeville, Chinatown), Morton Grove, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village, Ill.