Failure to Diagnose Cancer Results in $24 Million Verdict

A Tennessee jury has found in favor of plaintiff Courtney Hill in her failure to diagnose lawsuit against Dr. Claudia Moise and OB/GYN Specialists P.C. of Memphis.  She was awarded nearly $24 million for her medical bills, pain and suffering after her breast cancer was misdiagnosed.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Moise ignored Hill’s multiple complaints of an unusual lump in one of her breasts.  The complaints began back in 2003, when Moise advised Hill not to be concerned and that she would revisit the issue during her next check-up.  During that subsequent check-up, Moise still did not order a mammogram, but instead suggested to Hill that the lump was simply a cyst or a fatty deposit.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.  Hill had cancer, and it wasn’t until she was pregnant and the lump got worse that she was finally given a mammogram and an ultrasound that revealed the disease.  By that point, it had spread to her liver.

Hill then had to undergo chemotherapy, radiation, a lumpectomy, and a hysterectomy to treat her cancer.  Because of these intensive medical treatments, she was too weak to appear in court so her testimony had to be presented via video.

The medical malpractice trial only lasted two weeks before the jury reached a decision.  They awarded $11.85 million to Mrs. Hill and an additional $11.74 million to her husband, Robert, who also sued for damages.  The verdict is said to be one of the largest malpractice awards in Tennessee history.