Hawthorne v. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. (U.S. District Court – filed May 22, 2017) The plaintiff visited Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s emergency department on March 24, 2014, for a CT-scan of her abdomen and pelvis. That same day, the radiologist returned the results to Emergency Physician, Dr. Terwilliger, and discussed a suspicious finding of a left renal mass that was highly indicative of kidney cancer.  The radiologist communicated to the ED doctor that further evaluation of the plaintiff was required.  Inexplicably, however, nobody at the hospital ever communicated with the plaintiff concerning the highly suspicious kidney mass, as required by the standard of care. Hospital personnel failed to order any further testing or evaluation of the plaintiff. In the months and years to follow, the plaintiff returned to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for care and treatment several times unrelated to the renal mass and still was never told about the tumor that was growing in her kidney. Finally—more than two years later—on September 28, 2016, the plaintiff returned to the hospital yet again, this time complaining of kidney symptoms, and, for the very first time, was informed of the past highly suspicious CT-scan findings. As a result of the Hospital’s total disregard of the plaintiff’s serious and potentially lethal health condition, the plaintiff didn’t learn of this cancer suspicion until she had already progressed to Stage IV cancerous involvement. She required immediate surgery to remove the left kidney and underwent painful medical interventions, including chemotherapy, and other related treatment. In the 2+ years it took the hospital to reveal a critical health finding, the plaintiff lost all chance for a cure. Plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against the hospital for its complete disregard of the plaintiff’s obvious condition.