Gerald Culhane went to his primary care physician at Buffalo Veterans Administration Medical Center, complaining of a lump in his neck over a three-month period. A CT scan was reviewed by a radiologist as being unremarkable. Culhane was told that he did not require a follow-up.
About a year and a half later, he called the Veteran’s Administration and reported that his neck lump was continuing to grow. Another CT scan led to a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in the left tonsil, which required 40 rounds of radiation and 7 cycles of chemotherapy. The cancer recurred. Culhane later underwent a radical tonsillectomy and neck dissection.
Culhane and his wife sued the United States under the Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA), alleging that the Veteran’s Administration Hospital chose not to timely diagnose squamous cell carcinoma. The Culhane family also alleged that a mass was obviously present when the first CT scan was done and that the scan was wrongly interpreted as negative.
Before trial, the parties settled with the government for $1.95 million.
The attorneys handling this lawsuit for the Culhane family were Andrew M. Debbins, John T. Loss and Terrence M. Connors.
Culhane v. United States, 2020 WL 7692766 (W.D.N.Y.).
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling misdiagnosis of cancer cases, medical negligence cases, wrongful death lawsuits, traumatic brain injury cases, hospital negligence lawsuits, and radiology negligence cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 45 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Harvey, Calumet City, Matteson, Richton Park, Orland Hills, Alsip, Berwyn, Naperville, Woodridge, Plainfield, Lombard, Villa Park, Elmhurst, Addison, Des Plaines, Niles, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Northfield, Glenview, Fox River Grove, Mundelein, Libertyville, Chicago (Ukrainian Village, Lincoln Square, Belmont Cragin, Portage Park, Austin, North Lawndale, Homan Square, Douglas Park, Heart of Chicago, Chinatown, Back of the Yards, Englewood, Longwood Manor, Roseland, Hegewisch, East Side, Calumet Heights, Marshall Square), Cicero, Maywood, Flossmoor, Olympia Fields and Hanover Park, Ill.
Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.
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