The jury awarded $28,215,278.00 to Anna Rahm for pain and suffering, for future loss of earnings and for future medical expenses after a four-week trial. The jury found Kaiser Permanente liable for improper medical treatment that resulted in Rahm losing parts of her spine, half of her pelvis and her right leg.

According to the lawsuit, in 2008, at the age of 16, Rahm began experiencing pain in her lower back, which later radiated to her right leg. She pursued chiropractic treatment, which was unsuccessful, and then sought an MRI at Kaiser Permanente. Rahm claimed that, accompanied by her mother, she saw a primary care physician and a physical medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente and requested an MRI.

She alleged in the lawsuit that the doctors refused to order an MRI and refused to document the request. The doctors claimed at trial that no MRI was ever requested.

An MRI was eventually performed on July 2, 2009, and it revealed an osteosarcoma (an aggressive tumor) in Rahm’s pelvis. She required surgery that resulted in the loss of her leg and of portions of her pelvis and spine. Rahm’s lawsuit argued that the hospital’s refusal to perform an MRI resulted in a four-month delay in diagnosing the tumor, which in turn caused the loss of her leg.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.