Legal News

Patient wins $3.7 million for improper diagnosis

By Jason Siegel

SAN DIEGO ? A jury has awarded $3.7 million to a man who sued a doctor for failing to diagnose the iron-overload disease hemochromatosis.

In 2003, Jesse Valentine went to workers' compensation doctor Stuart Kramer, who performed an internal medicine exam that showed increased ferritin in his blood, an indication of hemochromatosis. No diagnosis was made. In 2006, Valentine, then in his 40s, was diagnosed with the disease.

Alleging tissue and organ damage, arthritis and memory loss, Valentine said that Kramer failed to diagnose and treat his hemochromatosis, failed to refer him to a specialist and failed to discuss the lab results with him.

Kramer had said that he showed Valentine the lab results and told him to see a primary care doctor. The doctor had claimed that the disease was pre-existing.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on October 20, 2008 (boomark / email).