On May 31, 2019, Vermont resident Karen Reilly sought medical care at the Grace Cottage Hospital after experiencing severe chest pain. The Physician Assistant who evaluated Karen that day misdiagnosed her with muscle spasms and instructed her to take pain medication for the next three days. The PA chose not to perform routine imaging studies even though Karen’s health history included, among other things, deep vein thrombosis (DVT). On August 14th, Reilly’s chest discomfort returned and she was breathing abnormally. By the time EMS arrived on the scene that day, Karen was tragically found unresponsive and, despite efforts to resuscitate her at the ED, she was pronounced dead at age 47. Autopsy showed blood clots within the veins of her lower leg and both sides of her heart as a consequence of pulmonary embolism. A proper diagnostic work-up when she first presented with her serious symptoms in May, 2019, would have revealed pulmonary embolism, a treatment plan would have been implemented and her suffering and tragic death prevented. Karen’s son, Brandon, and his siblings have filed this suit to hold the Hospital accountable for the malpractice and lack of care his mother received resulting in her premature and unnecessary death.
Case Stats
- This gives referring lawyers and the outside world the exact same information we use in-house for quality control. Intakes need to be accepted / declined and cases need to be resolved! Justice delayed is justice denied.
- 2022 Intake Contacts (12/31/22) 647
- 2022 Declined (12/31/22) 522
- Intakes Under Review 45 (12/31/22)
- Referred Cases from other lawyers state and nationwide 94%
- Median Time First Contact to Decline 25 days (most cases are reviewed w/ an indication of merit within 72 hours)
- Median Time First Contact to Accepted/Filed Cases 9 weeks
- Median Time Case Filing to Resolution 1.8 years
By Christina Acampora | posted on November 2nd, 2020