Veteran Denied Colonoscopy Sues for Medical Malpractice

David Cohen, a veteran of war is suing a New York VA for medical malpractice for denying him the ability to receive a colonoscopy.

Cohen claims that his local VA refused to perform a colonoscopy on him on multiple occasions, and disregarding the fact that colon cancer runs in his family, which places him at a much higher risk of developing the disease.  Cohen’s grandmother and several other family members all had colon cancer, so he was attempting to take preventative measures for himself.

In August 2009, Cohen finally received the test he’d been trying to get all along only to find out that he was, in fact, suffering from colorectal cancer.  At that point, the disease was already in a stage four and he was given a prognosis of 26 months to live.  According to Cohen’s medical malpractice lawsuit, he is facing this situation because of the refusal of the tests he requested.

A soldier at heart, Cohen’s bravery is evident in his vow to beat his prognosis and live past the short time-frame he’s been given.  He also wants to remind people never to take no for an answer when it comes to medical care.  Heeding his advice may mean avoiding becoming a victim of medical malpractice.