Radiologist Misses Clot: $1.6 Million Settlement
2025 Medical Malpractice Trial Report
Suffolk Superior Court, Boston, Massachusetts
By Robert M. Higgins, attorney for the plaintiffs
Lawsuit claims radiologist was negligent in failing to identify the clot in the mesenteric artery
Case summary
On 3/29/16, the 78-year-old decedent went to the emergency room complaining of severe abdominal pain with shortness of breath, weakness, and nausea. She told them she had an upper endoscopy the day before and had been off her Coumadin for that procedure. The ER physician ordered a CT scan to rule out bowel perforation or mesenteric ischemia.
The defendant radiologist read the scan as unremarkable and specifically stated there was no mesenteric ischemia. That reading was determined and acknowledged to be incorrect, as there was a clot in her mesenteric artery. Because the ER physician was still concerned for mesenteric ischemia, he transferred her to a large Boston hospital for further work-up.
Early on 3/30/16 the decedent arrived in Boston. The reason listed for transfer was concern for ischemic bowel/mesenteric ischemia. The decedent was seen by the defendant surgeon, who noted that she had concerns for ischemia, but she ordered no testing. Instead, she opted to watch and wait to see how the decedent did.
Later that afternoon, another surgeon saw the decedent and was concerned with her condition. He ordered a CTA of the abdomen, but before that could be done, the CT scan done the day before at the outside hospital was re-read, and it showed a clot in the mesenteric artery. She was brought immediately to the OR. When she was opened up, the majority of her colon was dead, and the surgeons could not get blood flow back to it. The surgery was ended, and the decedent passed away the following day.
The plaintiff retained experts who opined that the radiologist was negligent in failing to identify the clot in the mesenteric artery. They also had expert support that the defendant surgeon should have gotten a CTA early on 3/30. Had either provider acted appropriately, the decedent would have gone to surgery, and she would have survived.
The case settled for $1,600,000 two weeks before the start of trial.
Lubin & Meyer attorneys Robert M. Higgins and Andrew C. Meyer, Jr. represented the plaintiff in this lawsuit.
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