Jane Doe v. Health Care Center (Superior Court – confidentiality settlement. Patient suffered from horrific headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred and double vision and was told by the HMO, which was her primary care provider, that she had the flu. Over several weeks she returned five (5) time to her providers and was told the same thing. Again, over this period of time, no imaging studies were ordered of the patient’s brain to rule out an intracranial bleed or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Because of the failure of multiple health care providers to consider a subarachnoid hemorrhage (sentinel bleed) in the differential diagnosis and to rule out an aneurysm, particularly after the patient presented with ptosis (droopy eye lid) and double vision (caused by a third nerve palsy), by ordering a CT or MRI scan of the brain, the patient’s  signs and symptoms from the aneurysm remained undiagnosed.  Eventually her aneurysm(s) ruptured, causing permanent brain damage.  

Jane Doe, Rob Kornfeld’s client, had a posterior communicating and middle cerebral aneurysm which should have been timely diagnosed in the differential diagnosis before she suffered a subarchnoid hemorrhage. In taking a history, a reasonable provider should have conducted a problem focused clinical examination and ordered imaging studies. Had a basic medical work up been taken to rule out an aneurysm and had an aneuyrsm been considered in the differential diagnosis, this patient would have been living independently today and leading a normal life, working and participating in avocationa activities.

Aneuyrsms are easily treatable today by coiling, an interventional non-invasive treatment, and/or by surgery with clipping of the aneurysm. Either treatment will allow most to continue leading a normal life as Sharon Stone and John Olerud, all public figures.

Instead, the client in this example suffered a life long disabling injury caused by brain damage as a result of a subarchnoid hemorrhage and stroke because her HMO failed to timely diagnose and treat her aneurysm. The client is now cared for by her children after she and her husband could not remain together.

Total settlement $2,500,000+

For more information about other cases or your own case and for a free consultation with Rob Kornfeld, e-mail Rob at Rob@Kornfeldlaw.com or call for a time to meet to discuss those unfortunate circumstances which have beset you, a family member or loved one. Call 1 800 282-4878.