A St. Clair County woman claims a doctor at Tri-Lab and at St. Elizabeth's Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis failed to properly interpret the malignant results of a biopsied piece of vaginal tissue.
Angela Gist filed a lawsuit Jan. 19 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Dr. Heide M. Lind, Tri-Lab and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, after she says doctors failed to diagnose her with cancer.
Gist visited St. Elizabeth's Hospital on Jan. 22, 2006, where doctors removed vaginal tissue samples from her and performed a biopsy, according to the complaint.
Doctors then sent the sample and biopsy to Lind, who failed to recognize that the biopsy and tissue samples showed presence of cancer, the suit states.
As a result, Gist's cancer remained untreated for "a substantial period of time," causing her to sustain severe injuries, the complaint says.
Gist claims that because of her undiagnosed cancer, she has lost wages; experienced pain, suffering, disability, loss of a normal life, disfigurement, an increased risk of future injuries and a diminished life expectancy; and incurred medical expenses.
She blames Lind, who worked for Tri-Lab and St. Elizabeth's Hospital, for her failure to be treated sooner for the cancer, saying Lind negligently failed to properly interpret the biopsy and tissues and failed to report the biopsy showed signs of cancer.
In her three-count complaint, Gist seeks a judgment of more than $150,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.
J. Michael Weilmuenster and Frederick W. Keck of Weilmuenster and Wigginton in Belleville will be representing her.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-23.
Malignant cancer went undiagnosed, woman claims in suit against Tri-Lab, St. Elizabeth's
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