N.H. jury awards $5M in stroke misdiagnosis suit
A Rockingham County, N.H., jury has returned a $5 million verdict against a former radiologist from Advanced Diagnostic Imaging in Exeter, N.H., according to a Portsmouth Herald report.
The ruling in the medical negligence case went against Ellen Johnson, MD, and stemmed from a misdiagnosis of Noel Jodoin, who suffered a stroke in 2007.
According to the report, on Aug. 9, 2007, Jodoin went to Exeter Hospital, which contracted imaging work to Advanced Diagnostic Imaging, after experiencing a prolonged severe headache. Johnson interpreted Jodoin’s CT scan, noting “no evidence of acute hemorrhage,” according to Portsmouth Herald.
After Jodoin’s condition worsened, she was flown to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where another CT scan showed hemorrhages caused by thrombosis or stroke. A second review of the original CT scan first interpreted by Johnson revealed it showed significant abnormalities, according to Portsmouth Herald.
Upton & Hatfield, the law firm representing Jodoin, said on their website that the delay in diagnosis left their client with permanent brain damage and disability. The jury assigned 100 percent of the fault to Johnson and Advanced Diagnostic Imaging, according to the firm.
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.