A jury has awarded $1.2 million to the family of a woman who allegedly died as a result of two doctors’ failure to diagnose a perforated stomach ulcer in 2002.
The jury found that Cape Radiology group’s Dr. W.J. Stoecker and Dr. James D. Meritt of Essex were both liable for Ruthie Lacey’s death, according to Lacey’s family’s attorney, David Zevan.
The Negligent Treatment
Lacey died at 57 years old on April 7, 2002 after an emergency surgery to treat a perforated ulcer. The surgery, performed at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter, Mo., did not happen until two days after Lacey first visited the hospital complaining of extreme stomach pain, said Zevan.
A perforated ulcer is an ulcer that has eaten through the stomach wall allowing food and stomach acids to enter the abdominal cavity. It typically requires immediate surgery.
According to Zevan, after seeing Lacey on April 5, 2002, he sent her to Missouri Southern Healthcare to get a CT scan along with instructions for him to be notified when the scan was complete.
Dr. Stoecker, at Cape Radiology, read the scan remotely and missed the ulcer that was visible on the scan results, Zevan said.
Meritt failed to follow up on the test, and he sent Lacey home, said Zevan. She came back the next day still in severe pain, and this time the correct diagnosis was made and she went in for surgery, said Zevan.
“Had the proper diagnosis been made and communicated, she had at least an 80 percent chance of survival,” said Zevan. “Because it had gone over 24 hours, there was no chance of saving her.”
The Award
According to Zevan, the suit had originally named Cape Radiology and the hospital as defendants along with the two doctors, but the facilities were dropped from the suit. The doctors made the mistakes, not Cape Radiology or the hospital, he said.
The jury awarded Lacey’s daughter, Susan Coleman $1.2 million — $0.6 million for past damages and $0.6 million for future damages – mainly for the loss of companionship. Each doctor was found equally liable. The suit did not seek punitive damages.