$3.1 Million in Delayed Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Case

October 12, 2000 - A Rockford, Illinois area woman was awarded $3.1 million by a Wisconsin jury, which according to the Rockford Register Star newspaper, was the state's largest verdict to date in a breast cancer case. The multi-million dollar medical malpractice verdict was subsequently reduced 5% for the woman's contributory negligence and included an $850,000 award to her husband for loss of companionship. The verdict was upheld on July 1, 2002 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The firm's client was 39 years old when she found a small lump in her breast. The discovery required her to consult with four different doctors over a course of three years to be finally diagnosed with breast cancer. By then, the Stage III cancer had spread to 17 of the 22 lymph nodes tested, requiring a mastectomy and extensive chemotherapy treatment.

David E. Rapoport of Rapoport Law Offices, P.C., who represented the woman and her husband, noted that, "This is a tragic case. My client's cancer should have been diagnosed at Stage I, when she had a 90% chance for a cure, not at Stage III. Three medical professionals were grossly negligent and have been brought to justice. This is a tragic example of what happens when physicians fail to take the time to be thorough and to listen carefully to their patients."

This case was detailed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Rockford Register Star, among other media sources.

Contact Rapoport Law Offices by email, or telephone our law firm at at 800-545-6437 (toll free) or
312-327-9880, if you would like to discuss a potential medical negligence claim with with one of our attorneys. There is no fee to consult with an attorney. The fee for our services is solely based on a percentage of the amount we recover for our client. No fee is charged unless there is a recovery.