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(253) 272-5226A Salt Lake City jury awarded Krista Wilcox $2.9 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit against Exodus Healthcare. Her husband, 55-year old Keith Wilcox, died of aortic dissection after he was misdiagnosed. His death was the unfortunate result of more than one medical error.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Wilcox has been suffering from chest pains. Eventually, the pain spread from his chest to his abdomen. According to court documents, Wilcox visited an Exodus Healthcare clinic on November 6, 2011. The physician’s assistant (PA) who saw him misdiagnosed the medical condition as constipation. Mr. Wilcox never underwent any cardiac tests such as a chest x-ray or an EKG. Nor was he sent to the emergency room.
On November 15, after more than a week of continued pain, Mr. Wilcox returned to the Exodus clinic. During his visit, he met with a different PA. This PA diagnosed him with abdominal pain and constipation. Once again, the Exodus healthcare professionals failed to uncover the actual medical issue. For a second time, no cardiac tests were performed.
Four days after his second visit to Exodus, Mr. Wilcox died of aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that often requires emergency surgery. If the Exodus PAs would have ordered the right tests and made the diagnosis, Mr. Wilcox may have survived.
On February 15, 2017, the jury awarded $2,940,250.21 to Mrs. Wilcox and the heirs of Mr. Wilcox.
According to court documents, the jury found that Mr. Wilcox was 30% at fault for the incident because he could have visited the emergency room. However, the jury also found that Exodus Healthcare was 70% at fault and had breached the standard of care.
This case illustrates how several medical errors can lead to malpractice. In the end, the negligence of the Exodus healthcare workers caused severe harm to Mr. Wilcox.
The personal injury attorneys at Ladenburg Law help victims of medical malpractice in Tacoma, Olympia, Puyallup and surrounding areas. We’ve helped clients who’ve suffered from misdiagnoses, birth injuries, emergency room errors, and surgical errors. If you or a loved on have been a victim of medical malpractice, contact us today for a free consultation.