A class action lawsuit has been filed against Missouri-based Lester E. Cox Medical Centers for providing excessive radiation to 76 patients between 2004 and 2009 due to an operator calibration error in its BrainLAB stereotactic radiation therapy system.
Patients who received radiation at Cox Medical Centers between 2004 and 2009 were shocked to hear that they may have been exposed to too much radiation while being treated for brain cancer – the result of which could be brain damage or even death. Radiation overdose attorneys say that the class action lawsuit was filed by Anthony Zilius. His wife, Diane, received too much radiation at a Cox facility in 2008, lost the use of the right side of her body, suffered brain damage and eventually died.
In late February 2010, Cox announced that Diane hadn't been the only patient subject to radiation over exposure. In fact, 75 others were likely exposed as well. According to Robert Bezanson, the President & CEO of Cox Health, the company has admitted liability. He told the press, “We are deeply sorry for our error and how it has affected these patients and their families. CoxHealth takes full responsibility and is doing all we can to care for and support our patients and their families.”
The issue of patients receiving too much radiation is not limited to Missouri. Over 300 patients received too much radiation at hospitals in California and Alabama last year. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the matter – which may be a combination of human error and defective medical devices manufactured by GE Healthcare, Toshiba and others. Regardless of who is blame, victims are entitled to compensation for their injuries.
$7.5M radiation overdose settlement (link to http://law.freeadvice.com/malpractice_law/hospital_malpractice/radiation-overdose-lawsuit.htm)
One of the most horrific radiation overdose cases reported involved an Illinois cancer patient who was given 50% more radiation than was prescribed on more than a dozen occasions – which resulted in her death and a wrongful death lawsuit by her family. The parties settled the matter for a record $7.5 million.
If you, a family member or friend has been injured due to radiation overdose, contact an experienced radiation overdose lawyer in your state. While victims may be entitled to compensation, it's important to keep in mind that every state has its own statute of limitations in which you must file a lawsuit or be forever barred from doing so.