

The company denied liability and claimed that the cancer actually originated from rectal cancer and no physical tumor was found in the vagina or cervix, alleging that the care of the plaintiff was within medical standards.

The plaintiff contended that the defendants failed to properly screen the patient's pap specimens for abnormalities, failed to create a system that would decrease error, failed to maintain reliable quality control, failed to recognize the significance of abnormal pap results over the years, failed to order the proper colonoscopy, failed to provide follow-up procedures for abnormal paps, and failed to provide the proper standard of care. 2008 Pennsylvania $3,500,000: A wrongful death action was filed after a patient died nine months after they underwent a colonoscopy with a biopsy that had results showing metastasis of cervix/vaginal cancer years after Quest Diagnostics obtained and analyzed multiple pap smears.Quest Diagnostics Verdicts and Settlementsīelow are verdicts and reported settlements from actual malpractice cases filed against Quest Diagnostics from around the country. In addition, when Quest is sued it is usually the result of an incorrect pathology test which failed to identify cancer. This lower rate of risk means that Quest does not get sued for misdiagnosis as frequently as providers that specialize in radiology. This type of lab work has a much lower margin for interpretive error compared to reading and interpreting radiology imaging. Quest Diagnostics focuses primarily on blood work and pathology (examination of tissue samples for cancer) as opposed to radiology, MRIs or other imaging diagnostic tools. Quest provides lab work, screening and other diagnostic services, so when they get sued for medical malpractice it is almost always based on some type of failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis theory. Question Diagnostics is considered a healthcare provider under Maryland law, which means it can be sued for medical malpractice the same as a doctor.

Medical Malpractice Claims Against Quest Diagnostics Some conditions that have a higher rate of diagnostic error include: Human error occurs even with the safest tests by being administered or interpreted incorrectly. Unfortunately, even for well-designed tests, there is no guarantee that the test is completely fail-safe. This is due to the condition having similar symptoms to other illnesses, making it easier for a lab technician to confuse samples or give a misdiagnosis. There are some conditions that are more likely to have a diagnostic error or be misdiagnosed.
