Kidney Failure Due to Failure to Diagnose Wegener’s Granulomatosis

Settlement Amount: $475,000.00
Settlement Date: 1/2003
Attorney: Howard D. Mishkind

Description of Case: Plaintiff, a 50-year-old female, presented to her primary care physician with symptoms of headache, generalized weakness and neck pain. A dipstick urinalysis done in the physician’s office revealed 3+ hematuria with negative proteinuria. The 3+ hematuria was not further evaluated with a microscopic urinalysis. Plaintiff subsequently changed physicians and was diagnosed with Wegener’s granulomatosis six months later. A renal biopsy disclosed crescentic necrotizing glomerulonephritis which led to a definitive diagnosis of Wegener’s granulomatosis. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, but suffered permanent renal damage. Plaintiff’s injuries include hemodialysis with ongoing renal failure. Plaintiff is currently off dialysis. Defendant alleged that Plaintiff’s symptoms were non-specific. Further, Defendant alleged that the patient failed to follow-up with his office for further testing which would have included microscopic urinalysis.

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