$2.6 Million Dollar Verdict for Failure to Diagnose Cancer

Steven Cooper, an 18-year veteran from Arizona, has won a $2.6 million judgment against the Phoenix VA Health Care System. The judge awarded the settlement after finding that the VA was negligent in providing timely medical care. Due to the delay in diagnosis, Cooper missed a critical window of treatment.

After his dishonorable discharge from the military, Cooper had health concerns. He sought treatment from the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Phoenix. When he was finally able to get in for an appointment six months later, the nurse practitioner noted abnormal test results. Yet, she failed to provide further treatment or follow-up care.

A year later, Cooper received a diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer. If the cancer had been diagnosed the year before, it would have been curable. Cooper filed a medical malpractice lawsuit for negligence in 2015. After a week-long trial before a U.S. Magistrate, the judge found the Veterans Administration to have been negligent.

Failure to diagnose illness is a common reason for filing a medical malpractice claim. Read more about our process for helping clients when they’ve had a misdiagnosis. At Ladenburg Law, there is never a fee for a consultation. Please call our office at 253.272.5226 to schedule a time to meet.