She was so young.
She noticed a lump in her breast.
She went to her gynecologist.
She told her gynecologist what she felt.

Her gynecologist felt the breast lump.
Her gynecologist ordered a sonogram.
Her gynecologist ordered a mammogram.
Her gynecologist ordered a breast surgery evaluation.

The patient went for a sonogram.
The patient was told the sonogram was normal.
The patient was told she was too young to have breast cancer.
The patient was told she didn’t need a mammogram.

So...

The patient trusted the radiology facility.
The patient listened to the nurse at the radiology facility.
The patient didn’t have a mammogram.

She tried to set up a breast surgery appointment.
She had a problem getting her insurance to approve the appointment.
She finally learned that the breast surgeon wouldn’t take her insurance.

In the meantime, her gynecologist went on maternity leave.
In the meantime, her gynecologist’s nurse practitioner told her the sono was normal.
In the meantime, nobody from her gynecologist ever followed up with her.

Her gynecologist was no longer at the office.
Her gynecologist’s partner was a man.
She couldn’t bear to be seen by a man.

Many months later, she went to another gynecologist.
She was having a missed pregnancy known as a missed AB.
She didn’t think the breast lump was anything.
She had been told by her radiology facility that everything was normal.
She had been told by her gynecologist’s office that the sonogram was normal.

Months later, during a routine gyn exam, her new gynecologist felt a breast lump.
She sent the patient for an immediate sonogram.
She sent the patient for an immediate breast surgery evaluation.
She was sent for an immediate biopsy.

She was diagnosed with Stage IIIa breast cancer.
She needed chemotherapy.
She couldn’t harvest her eggs since she needed treatment immediately.

She needed radiation therapy.
She elected to have a bilateral mastectomy.
She was only 25 years old.

She’s in remission now.
She’s three years out from her diagnosis and treatment.
She still has risk factors for recurrent breast cancer.

Her case was about to be scheduled for trial.

The defense started to negotiate.
The defense refused to acknowledge, prior to trial, that they were at fault.

The defense offered her $750,000 to settle.
We said “No.”

The defense offered her $1,000,000 to settle.
We said “No.”

The defense offered her $1,250,000 to settle.
We said “No.”

The defense offered her $1,450,000 to settle.
We said “No.”

The defense offered her $1,600,000 to settle.
We said “Yes.”

Gerry Oginski
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NY Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Trial Lawyer