Malpractice Lawsuits Against Radiologists

Our Maryland-based radiologist malpractice lawyers handle lawsuits against radiologists in all 50 states.  This page is radiology malpractice cases and the settlement amounts and jury payout victims see in these lawsuits.  

Radiology Negligence Cases Statistics

Most lawsuits against radiologists – 75% – are the result of a failure to diagnose or communicate any concerns in a test to the patient promptly.

Radiologists have a tough job. Missing an abnormality is not always malpractice. But, far too often, radiologists miss evidence of disease that a normal prudent radiologist would not miss. Approximately 31% are sued for a mistake during their careers.

Most radiology malpractice cases settle. Statistically, victims win 50% of these cases that go to trial.

Although some acts of negligence cover two or more of these categories, we focus on four general types of radiologist mistakes:

Perception Errors

Perception error is a fancy term for when the radiologist fails to see what is there to be seen. Radiology is a skill. Some are simply better at it than others although the reality is that even a good radiologist can fail to see a positive finding on an x-ray, mammogram, MRI, or CT scan.

Repetition also helps sometimes. If a doctor is reading one MRI a month, the doctor is not likely to have the same ability as someone who is regularly reading and interpreting MRIs. These low-volume radiologists make up a high volume of medical malpractice cases.

The most common complication involving radiologists’ exams is vascular injuries, often requiring an angiography or other interventional procedures that utilize a series of images to guide what is intended to be a minimally invasive procedure.

This is an interesting statistic on radiology malpractice. If radiologists are given a stack of radiographic, CT, or MRI studies that have abnormalities, approximately 30% of the abnormalities will be missed. But when you add in a lot of tests with no evidence of disease, the radiologist’s overall miss rate drops 90%.

The most famous radiology perception malpractice case was the wrongful death lawsuit involving “Three’s Company” star, John Ritter.  That case had many common issues you see in medical negligence in radiology cases.   Two years before his death, Ritter had gotten a CT that the radiologist interpreted as normal. Plaintiff’s experts said it was not normal, and the doctors were on alert for an aortic aneurysm. The case was hotly disputed but settled for $14 million.

• Here is an example perception radiologist malpractice lawsuit involving misdiagnosed ovarian cancer
• Here is another involving breast cancer
• Another one in an aortic dissection misdiagnosis case

Knowledge Errors

Knowledge errors occur when the radiologist simply does not have the requisite base of experience and knowledge to get it right. Either the doctor never learned or forgot what she need to know to make the right call that the “ordinary, prudent radiologist” would have had. We have seen a lot of cases where the radiologist saw what was there to be seen but just did not know the implications of what she was seeing.

Communication Errors

Except for mammograms, the standard of care does not require radiologists to communicate directly with a patient. But while direct contact is not required, radiologists can’t stop at just dictating a report and not making sure that the patient or referring doctor has been notified.

Communication error radiology claims are usually larger cases not because the damages are higher than in a straight misdiagnosis case but because juries can get their mind around how little was needed to make sure the information was properly communicated so the patient could get the treatment he/she needs.

Medication Errors

You would think radiology would be a relatively risk-free place for medication errors. You would think wrong. According to a report by the Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety, medication errors that harm patients are seven times more frequent in the course of radiological services than anywhere else in the hospital. Why? Just like we just talked about above, communication breakdowns are a big contributor. The most common errors were victims who got the incorrect dose or drug, not getting the drug they need, or not getting the drug correctly.

Jury Payouts and Settlements Amounts in Radiologist Lawsuits

Below are some jury awards and settlement amounts in malpractice claims against radiologists. These examples of malpractice in radiology are very helpful in understanding the settlement values of these claims.

But these stories come with a caveat. You cannot determine the value of one claim by looking at another even if the cases appear to be the same. There are just too many variables at play. So use these and learn from them but do not take their instructive value to an illogical extreme.

• • 2023, New York $120,000,000 Verdict: A man had a stroke and was taken to the hospital.   He was quickly transported to a hospital, where the resident medical staff, including radiologists and a neurologist, misinterpreted his CT scans. This misdiagnosis resulted in a delayed identification of a basilar artery occlusion, crucial hours were lost before an attending radiologist correctly identified the issue. Due to this delay, the man suffered irreversible brain damage, severely impacting his short-term memory and cognitive functions. Despite undergoing a necessary but brief surgical procedure to remove the clot, the damage had already been done. A radiology malpractice lawsuit was filed,  focusing on the radiological errors.  The defense acknowledged the error in reading the CT scans, but – because they had to try something – told the jury the clot had formed before the patient’s arrival at the hospital.  The jury rejected that, awarding a whopping $120 million.
  • 2023, Arizona $1,700,000 Verdict: The plaintiffs asserted that the defendant radiologist (an employee of Medical Diagnostic Imaging PLLC) departed from accepted practice in the manner in which he interpreted an MRI of the orbits. As a result, the plaintiff suffered a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of his cancer.
  • 2023, Massachusetts $5,875,000 Verdict: Wrongful death case brought following the death of a 47-year-old man from lung cancer. The lawsuit against the radiologist alleged that the defendant failed to inform the decedent patient of a 9.7 mm nodule found on the right lobe of his lung. The defendant claimed that she did inform the decedent but he never followed up.
  • 2022, Pennsylvania $1,800,000 Settlement: 61-year-old male died from pulmonary emboli related to deep vein thrombosis in his lower left leg. He had previously underwent a doppler ultrasound study of the left leg. The lawsuit alleged that the radiologist who interpreted that ultrasound study was negligent in failing to recognize the DVT.
  • 2019, Maryland $2,582,529 Verdict: A 56-year-old female decedent undergoes a diagnostic mammogram that is interpreted as normal. The following year a subsequent mammogram reveals a large tumor and leads to a diagnosis of breast cancer. By that time the
    cancer had already spread outside the breast and she tragically dies two years after the diagnosis. Her family sues American Radiology for negligently failing to identify the tumor in the first mammogram. The misdiagnosis lawsuit goes to trial in Baltimore County and the jury awards $2.5 million in damages.
  • 2018, Massachusetts $2,800,000 Verdict: Plaintiff had previously been diagnosed with sarcoma in his left shoulder. The cancer was successfully treated with chemotherapy and surgical removal. During the years that followed plaintiff had regular chest and shoulder CT scans to monitor for evidence of recurrence or metastasis to his lungs. Five years after his initial treatment the plaintiff had a new cancerous mass in the same shoulder, however, the radiologist misread his CT scan as normal. Months later the lump had doubled in size and was diagnosed as cancer. By that point, the tumor had spread into his nerves and his arm had to be amputated at the shoulder. He sued for malpractice claiming that the radiologist failed to properly read the CT scan where the new mass appeared, resulting in the loss of his arm.
  • 2018, New York $4,500,000 Settlement: A urologist sent a 49-year-old male plaintiff to the radiologist for an abdominal CT scan. The radiologist correctly identified a mass on the plaintiff’s colon as being highly suspicious for cancer. This finding was reported on the 2^ndpage of the radiology report and faxed to the urologist’s office, but the urologist never actually looked at the 2^nd page of the report. As a result plaintiff’s colon cancer went undiagnosed for 19 months. He sued both the urologist and the radiologist. Plaintiff argued that the radiologist was negligent because he should have called a urologist to directly report the significant and unexpected finding on the radiology study. This radiology malpractice lawsuit also alleged the doctor should have followed up to ensure the plaintiff’s cancer was diagnosed. This communication error lawsuit settled. The radiologist contributed $2 million to the settlement amount.
  • 2017, Massachusetts $2,000,000 Settlement: A gastroenterologist sent a 43-year-old male patient to a radiologist for an ultrasound and CT scan due to troubling liver function tests. The radiologist correctly identified a potentially cancerous mass on the ultrasound and recommended a PET scan. The radiologist incorrectly interpreted the PET scan images as negative. Sometime later it was eventually discovered that the patient had liver cancer which by that point had become terminal. The patient’s family sued the radiologist alleging that he negligently misinterpreted the PET scan results causing a fatal delay in the diagnosis of the patient’s liver cancer. Claims against the radiologist were settled for $2 million.
  • 2017, Massachusetts $1,000,000 Settlement: X-rays were performed on the chest and shoulders of a 62-year-old female plaintiff with 30-year smoking history and complaints of prolonged shoulder pain. Defendant radiologist read and interpreted the X-ray images and concluded that the plaintiff’s lungs were “clear.” In fact, the plaintiff was suffering from lung cancer. Plaintiff’s expert testified that radiologist misread the X-rays which revealed a cancerous mass in the lungs. As a result of this mistake, the plaintiff’s lung cancer progressed undiagnosed from Stage II to Stage IV with no chance of survival. This is not a case in Maryland because the victim was unlikely to fully recover from Stage II lung cancer.
  • 2016: $11.6 Million Verdict: Plaintiff goes to the ER with headaches, dizziness, and trouble standing. He gets a CT scan. The radiologist says he just has sinusitis. He is diagnosed with vertigo by a physician’s assistant and sent home with instructions to follow up with his primary care doctor. He does follow up with his primary care for weeks with these same symptoms. He has a stroke and becomes disabled. Plaintiff settles with all defendants except the radiologist who is accused of misreading the CT scan which showed the blood vessel supplying blood to the Plaintiff’s brain was blocked,
  • 2014: $16.7 Million Verdict: A Massachusetts jury awarded $16.7 million to the family of a 47-year-old woman who died of lung cancer after a radiologist missed evidence of cancer in a chest X-ray. The deceased presented to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital with complaints of a persistent cough. She was sent for a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia and was discharged with a diagnosis of an upper respiratory infection. Thirteen months later, she returned after her symptoms had worsened. A CT scan was ordered which showed advanced lung cancer. Before her death seven months later, cancer had spread to her kidney, liver, spine, and pubic bone. The defendant claimed they were not provided with a full medical history that included a 30-year history of smoking and a mother who died of lung cancer. Her only daughter filed on her behalf and told the jury of their close relationship, and how she had raised her as a single mother. A jury awarded her the largest verdict in the state that year.
  • 2013, Maryland: $1,341,000 Verdict. A 77-year-old woman passes away three months after developing a staph infection while at the University of Maryland Medical Center [Learn more about malpractice cases against UMMC.]. After injuring her back and undergoing spinal fusion, she developed a staph infection at the surgical site. She passes away from complications from the infection. Her daughter files a wrongful death suit against the physician and the radiologist for failing to report the infection and not recommending the woman to remain immobilized. The radiologist claims the findings were reported. The Defendant physician claims that even if the woman had been immobilized, the infection could still have happened after the surgery. The radiologist was found 100% responsible for the infection and awarded the daughter $1,341,000.

• • October 2012, Illinois: $3,000,000 Settlement: A 59-year-old woman is experiencing severe chest pain and sweating. She has a history of hypertension and tobacco use, so she is quickly taken to a local hospital via ambulance. During a cardiology consultation, the cardiologist discovers the chest pain was showing signs of movement from the center of the chest to her shoulder and down into her lower abdomen. The cardiologist orders an echocardiogram that reveals a severe aortic regurgitation and widening of the aortic route as well as a chest x-ray that discovers a tortuous aorta. The woman remains in the hospital for three days before he is given an abdominal CT scan. There, the radiologist discovers an intramural hematoma and suggests the woman undergo an EGD procedure. Yet, after the procedure, when she’s she should be confident that her problems have been fixed, she begins to experience extreme pain and then a loss of feeling altogether in her lower extremities. Another CT scan is ordered, this time of her chest, which reveals an ascending aortic dissection that requires emergency surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery comes too late, and the woman dies on the operating table. The plaintiff’s estate brings a medical malpractice suit against the cardiologist, his intern (who also cared for the decedent), and the radiologist. The plaintiffs claim the defendants failed to diagnose timely and treat the decedent’s aortic dissectio
    n. According to the plaintiffs, the cardiologist, and his intern neglected to include a differential diagnosis of an aortic dissection, even though a heart attack had been ruled out. The cardiologist denies the allegations, claiming that the primary differential diagnosis was myocardial infarct and could not be excluded until 24 hours had passed. He states that an ascending aortic dissection in a woman her age was incredibly rare. The intern also denies liability, agreeing such a condition was extremely rare and was operating under the direction of the defendant cardiologist. The plaintiff also claims that the radiologist was negligent in failing to diagnose bleeding occurring within the aortic walls and failed to alert the other defendants of a hematoma. The radiologist argues that even if the hematoma existed, they are very subtle and difficult to find. He claims not being able to diagnose/find the hematoma still fell within the standard of care. Although all defendants deny liability, the parties agree to resolve their case for $3,000,000.

• • June 2012, Maryland: $691,565 Verdict: A Maryland man arrives at a hospital for a chest X-ray. The radiologist performing the X-ray reports the findings as normal. About one year following the initial X-ray, the man returns, consistent with the instruction of his neurosurgeon for pre-operative chest films before a laminectomy. While going over the films, the radiologist notices a nodular density in the man’s right lung. He decides to compare these films to the previous one from the prior year and notices the same abnormality. He indicates in the report the mass could have been a “nipple shadow” and recommends additional films with “nipple markers”. The films are never obtained. Another year passes and the man returns complaining of chest pains. Another X-ray and CT scan are ordered. Both tests confirm the presence of a mass that is suspicious for malignancy. Multiple tests are performed, and the man is diagnosed with having adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer) in his right lung. The patient decides to undergo radiation and chemotherapy, but unfortunately, the cancer had metastasized, and he passes four months after the initial diagnosis. The man’s estate brings a medical malpractice suit against the neurosurgeon for violating the standard of care. Plaintiffs claim the neurosurgeon failed to review the pre-operative films and if he had done, would have noticed the mass. Plaintiffs also claim had the defendant violated the standard of care and delayed the necessary treatment, leading to the man’s death. The defendant denies all liability and disputes any violation of the standard of care. A Montgomery County jury finds for the plaintiffs and awards $691,565.
  • October 2011, California: $6,400,000 Settlement: This is a classic case of a radiologist read the MRI wrong malpractice case with tragic consequences. A 14-year-old girl wakes up with severe back pain and numbness in her legs. She is rushed to UC Davis Medical Center by her mother and admitted for emergency care. There, she receives an MRI that reads as normal. The doctors decide to treat the teenager for Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the nervous system. Such a condition is quite serious, especially for a girl at this age, and she remains in the hospital for up to a week for treatment until she can regain feeling in her legs and can walk. For four years, the girl is in and out of her pediatrician’s office with similar complaints until she once again wakes up with the same symptoms of leg numbness and back pain. She is once again rushed to an emergency room, this time at Methodist Hospital in Sacramento. She gets another MRI, which shows an arteriovenous malformation on her spine. They soon discover the malformation had bled out and damaged her spinal cord. That same evening an emergency surgery is performed to prevent further harm. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, and following the surgery the, now, young adult is paralyzed from the waist down. The young woman sues UC Davis Medical Center for medical malpractice for breaching the standard of care. Plaintiff’s counsel claims the radiology department failed to identify correctly the arteriovenous malformation on her spine. Using evidence from an internal logbook, they presented an entry stating the axels had not been done during the MRI per the physician. The defendants claim this was because the girl, who was 14 at the time, had been uncomfortable with the machine. However, the plaintiff’s radiology malpractice lawyer points out she was sedated during the MRI and did not have any difficulty with the study. A neuroradiology expert for defense counsel testifies that while the mass was present in the initial MRI, it was subtle and within the standard of care to miss. Defense counsel also blames the plaintiff’s parents for only going to her pediatricians during the four years between the hospital visits; even though her discharge paperwork advised that if the symptoms were to return she should return to the hospital. They claim that had she returned to the hospital, the neurology department would have eventually properly diagnosed the plaintiff. The just finds the hospital 58% liable for injuries and her parents 42% at fault. They award the plaintiff $7,624,318, which is reduced in a post-trial settlement to $6,400,000.

• May 2011, Indiana: $2,600,000 Verdict: A man is being treated in the ER at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare in Hammond, Indiana. An emergency medicine specialist orders a chest x-ray, but for some reason or another, the physician is never informed of the contents. The man is considered to have a non-serious condition, is discharged, and informed to follow up with his doctor. However, the man decides not to do so. Almost one year after his visit to the ER, the man is diagnosed with lung cancer. He chooses to undergo radiation treatment but opts out of chemotherapy. The man attempts to present the situation to a medical review panel, but the panel unanimously agrees that the physicians at St. Margaret did not fall below the standard of care. He then decides to file suit against St. Margaret for hospital negligence. He claims that his original x-ray was suspicious for lunch cancer and that had he had known so, he would have undergone a CT scan that would have led to an earlier discovery of his cancer. The defendants dispute the accusations, claiming that the delay in diagnosis caused no significant harm and that the plaintiff could have lessened his damages by agreeing to chemotherapy treatment. They also claim that the delay in diagnosis was partially the fault of the plaintiff as he did not follow up with his primary physician, and had he had done so, the radiologist’s recommendation for a CT scan would have been seen. After a four-day trial, the jury awards the plaintiff $2,600,000.
• May 2011, Washington, D.C.: $1,750,000 Settlement: A 63-year-old woman arrives at a local hospital for a scheduled angiography. Before the procedure, the vascular surgeon orders a chest X-ray. The radiologist discovers a two-centimeter mass in the left lung and recommends a CT scan for further investigation. Not only is the CT scan not performed, but the woman is not informed of the X-ray findings until three years later when a chest X-ray is performed during treatment for pneumonia. By that time, the lung malignancy had grown to six centimeters. The presence of adenocarcinoma is confirmed after a bronchoscopy is performed and an MRI reveals metastasis to the brain. Consequently, she must undergo extensive chemotherapy and surgery to remove the metastasis. The woman su
  es the hospital for violating the standards of care. She claims the radiologist failed to inform the surgeon of the initial x-ray findings. She also claims the doctor neglected to follow-up with the necessary procedures to rule out the presence of malignancy. The defendants deny liability, but the parties agree to settle for $1,750,000.

Radiology Technician Settlements and Verdicts

Many radiology malpractice lawsuits are not against radiologist but radiology technicians. Below are sample settlement amounts and jury compensation awards in radiology negligence cases against the technician.

• 2020, Virginia $500,000 Settlement: A woman received a high-pressure intravenous contrast to her left hand. The contrast spread throughout her dorsal soft tissues. The woman underwent an emergency fasciotomy. She subsequently underwent surgical debridement and irritation. The woman continued to experience nerve pain, tingling, burning, and limited mobility. She also sustained permanent hand and forearm scares. The woman alleged that the technician’s negligence caused her permanent injuries. She claimed the high-pressure contrast damaged her fragile caliber distal veins, causing it to spread throughout her hand and forearm. This radiation technician lawsuit  settled for $500,000.
• 2020, Pennsylvania $10,830,000 Verdict: A 41-year-old man underwent a back MRI. He was injected with gadolinium. The attending MRI technician noticed the man’s breathing problems. They called for help. The ER medical director responded. They transferred the man to the ER. By that time, he had already suffered cardiac arrest. Thirty minutes later, the ER staff restarted the man’s heart. They diagnosed him with a significant brain injury. The man was left with short-term memory loss, executive functioning problems, and impulse control problems. He could no longer work as a project manager. The man’s father alleged that the hospital’s negligence caused his permanent injuries. He claimed they failed to properly train staff, require MRI rooms to be equipped with an emergency drug box, and timely respond to respiratory distress. A jury awarded $10,830,000.
• 2020, South Carolina: $675,000 Verdict: A 69-year-old woman suffered nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and bilateral leg muscle cramps. She presented to the emergency room. The woman was brought to the CT scan room. She experienced severe cramps while on the CT scanner table. The woman attempted to stand up. She fell to the floor. The woman suffered a left hip fracture. She underwent an open reduction internal fixation procedure. The woman now experienced difficulties with walking and other daily activities. She alleged that the radiology technician’s negligence caused her injuries. The woman claimed they failed to monitor her and prevent her fall. She received a 675,000 jury verdict.
• 2017, Iowa $400,000 Verdict: A woman presented to the hospital with chest pain. She underwent a CT scan. The emergency physician ordered the radiology technician to inject IV contrast dye. Before administration, the technician was informed that she was allergic to contrast dye. Nonetheless, she administered it to the woman. This caused the woman to suffer anaphylaxis, tachycardia, shortness of breath, and cardiac arrest. She was unresponsive for several minutes. The woman also developed post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, nausea, hot flashes, short-term memory loss, and cognitive issues. She hire a radiology malpractice lawyer and filed a radiology technician lawsuit – and a claim against the ER doctor.  The woman’s suit claimed they negligently injected contrast dye despite being informed of her allergy. The hospital denied liability. They disputed whether the woman told the technician of her contrast dye allergy. A jury awarded the woman a $400,000 award.

Getting Help Suing a Radiologist

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