$975,000 Settlement for Failure to Diagnose Brain Tumor

Carol Forte represented a woman who complained for several years to an ear nose and throat doctor that she was experiencing decreased hearing in one ear. The physician claimed she had wax in her ears and scheduled regular cleaning. Over the course of years, while the complaint persisted, he did not order any imaging studies, nor did he refer her to any other doctor. She eventually went for a second opinion, an MRI was immediately ordered and a benign brain tumor was discovered. Because of the delay in diagnosis, the tumor grew, and its removal was complicated by its location close to a nerve. After the surgery, the patient had a permanent facial nerve injury. This claim was resolved for 975,000.