Need a lawyer for a medical malpractice, serious injury or death case? One of the important factors you're considering is experience. Here are some case results for D.C., Maryland and Virginia injury and death cases we handle.



If you have a question about medical malpractice in D.C., Maryland or Virginia, or a hospital, HMO or doctor not putting patient safety first, or a violation of patient safety rules call us at 202-393-3320 and talk it through.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and these verdicts and settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case.

Patient dies from pulmonary embolism when HMO doctor and radiologist don't communicate

In a Virginia medical malpractice case, an HMO doctor referred his patient for an ultrasound, or sonogram, to determine whether she had developed deep vein thrombosis, usually called DVT, or blood clots in the legs.  The patient had complained of pain and had injured a leg, making her immobile. 

The radiologist reviewing the ultrasound diagnosed deep vein thrombosis (a potentially life threatening disease process).   He called the HMO doctor to inform him of the diagnosis, but got put on hold and eventually hung up without telling anyone.  His office sent a report to the HMO a day or two later and it was put in the patient's chart by a clerk who did not understand the significance of the diagnosis and without an HMO physician seeing it.

The patient suffered a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that breaks off and travels to the lung, where it can block the pulmonary artery and cause death) and died without ever knowing the results of the ultrasound.  

The unnecessary death could have been prevented if the HMO doctor and radiologist simply communicated.  The treatment for DVT is 90% effective and would have most likely prevented the pulmonary embolism. 

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In D.C., Maryland and Virginia, we represent people and families - patients injured because of preventable medical mistakes, children with cerebral palsy, workers with on the job injuries and people injured in serious car accidents, and families who have lost a loved one due to medical malpractice, work and car accidents.