BELLEVILLE - A medical center is facing a wrongful death lawsuit over claims that medical staff failed to diagnose a patient's lung cancer.
Richard Witkowski, as special administrator of the estate of the late Joyce Witkowski, filed suit June 8 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the Granite City Hospital Company, doing business as the Gateway Regional Medical Center, and individual employees.
The suit was filed under provisions of the Illinois Wrongful Death statute and the state's Survival statute.
According to the complaint, on or about June 15, 2018, Joyce Witkowski "first discovered that she had cancer and therefore she neither knew nor by the exercise of reasonable care could have known of her injury and its wrongful cause before that date." She later died on April 20, 2020.
The plaintiff accuses the defendants of various negligent acts or omissions, including misreading a scan in December 2016, failing to diagnose lung cancer, failing to properly follow the plaintiff's lung mass, and failing to carry out a proper history and physical.
As a result of the alleged negligent acts or omissions, Joyce Witkowski died and her next of kin has been permanently deprived of her love, companionship, society, and support, the suit states.
Richard Witkowski claims he "incurred and become liable for large sums of money in hospital, medical, and related expenses."
The plaintiff, who is seeking more than $75,000 in damages, is represented by Samantha S. Unsell of Keefe, Keefe & Unsell in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 2020-L-0451