Accurate Diagnosis Of Heart Disease Is Critical

The family of Sarah Crayton will receive a $2.6M settlement in the medical malpractice case against the University of Chicago Medical Center and cardiologist Dr. Mardi Gomberg-Maitland.  Crayton died in 2014 after the cardiologist ordered a test which damaged her artery. She died days later from internal bleeding. Mardi Gomberg-Maitland, MD, MSc, is currently a Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Crayton had previously been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension as well as other medical conditions and was suffering from shortness of breath. Plaintiff’s lawyer told the jury that the test ordered by Dr. Gomberg-Maitland might not have been necessary and that doctors should have surgically repaired the damage immediately or inserted a stent to cover the hole.

After three days in the hospital, Crayton was discharged on July 11, 2014. She was found on the floor in her home the next day. According to the lawsuit, emergency room doctors found she was bleeding internally and inserted a stent that stopped the bleeding but it was too late to save her.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. Cardiologists diagnose and treat heart disease conditions that are often life-threatening, as well as performing invasive procedures on some of the very sickest patients.  In Top 5 Reasons Cardiologists Get Sued, MedpageToday lists number one as:

Failure to make a diagnosis, making the wrong diagnosis, or delaying a diagnosis (25%). Problems with diagnosis — failing to make one, making the wrong one, or taking too long to get to one — lead the list of reasons behind cardiology-related lawsuits, revealed closed claims data from a medical malpractice insurer.

An experienced board-certified cardiologist from a top university medical center is an invaluable resource in litigation alleging malpractice. Secure a hand-selected cardiology expert witness by contacting Elite Medical Experts and speaking with a physician or nurse on Elite’s experienced Case Strategy Team.