A jury has awarded $11.5 million to a Framingham girl whose family filed a medical malpractice suit against a radiologist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, finding that he was negligent in his care of her by not properly reacting to a heart problem she had 10 years ago.

 

Anna Coelho alleged that in April 2009, when she was an 18-month-old, there was “a significant delay in the diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis” that resulted in cardiac arrest and permanent brain damage. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle.

Coelho was taken to the hospital on April 12, 2009 by her father with complaints of vomiting and possible dehydration, according to court documents. A chest x-ray was performed. Radiologist Dr. William Denison determined that “bronchiolitis v. atypical pneumonia was likely present,” according to court documents. According to Coelho’s attorneys, Denison failed to react accordingly to her enlarged heart.

Coelho’s attorneys had argued that if her enlarged heart had been identified and reported by Denison, “she would have undergone an echocardiogram, her myocarditis would have been diagnosed and treated, and more likely than not, Anna would not have suffered heart failure and cardiac arrest which resulted in her severe and permanent neurological injury.”

Source: Boston Globe
About the Author: James Swartz
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Mr. Swartz, our Managing and Principal Attorney at Swartz & Swartz P.C., is a nationally recognized and respected trial attorney as well as consumer advocate. His practice focuses on cases involving negligence, torts, products liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other claims involving catastrophic injuries.

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