$550K Medical Malpractice Verdict on Behalf of 79-Year-Old Scranton Woman

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Scranton, PA: A $550,000 jury verdict has been secured in a medical malpractice case brought by 79-year-old Irene Doherty of Scranton, Pa. Doherty suffered a 23-month delay in the diagnosis of her lung cancer. The verdict, returned against radiologist Earl Detrick, who practiced in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA. prior to retiring, may be the largest verdict for an elderly patient in Lackawanna County history.

The plaintiff's lawyers contended that among other missteps, Detrick in January 2007 failed to properly report to Doherty or her physician his conclusions regarding a computerized tomography (CT) scan of Doherty’s chest. Though the scan revealed a mass in Doherty’s right lung that merited medical follow-up, the mass was not brought to Doherty’s attention until nearly two years later when, in December 2008, a subsequent CT scan of her chest revealed a now-much-larger cancerous mass. In the 23 months between CT scans, the mass had doubled in size, preventing surgical removal, and spread to Doherty’s lymph nodes.

Doherty’s suffering and physical deterioration due to her lung cancer could have been prevented had Detrick properly reported the results of the January 2007 CT scan, the attorneys argued. Doherty now suffers from pain, anxiety and a decreased life expectancy, among other afflictions.