When people in New Mexico receive a cancer diagnosis, they can feel desperate for medical help. Some might consider alternatives to chemotherapy, a lure that the medical board in a neighboring state accuses one doctor of using to attract patients. This doctor now faces a review before the medical board that intends to revoke his medical license.
The doctor had been attracting patients to his clinic with the promise of alternative cancer treatments like antineoplaston therapy. Despite years of clinical trials, no supporting data about the efficacy of antineoplastons had been identified. According to the 48-page complaint from the medical board, the doctor often declared patients unsuitable candidates for the controversial therapy and then prescribed chemotherapy drugs in unproven and dangerous combinations and doses. He is also accused of misleading patients with low price quotes and then billing them for exorbitant amounts.
The numerous allegations against the doctor included charges that he and his staff misinterpreted scans, used the wrong tests, kept bad records and made continual medical mistakes. In regards to the untested combinations of drugs, the medical board alleged that he had, in essence, been experimenting on people outside a clinical research setting.
This case illustrates an extreme of medical negligence, but physician errors are known to occur in many medical settings. A person who suffered a long-term impact from an error like a delayed diagnosis or other mistake could investigate the potential of a medical malpractice lawsuit. An attorney whose practice focuses on medical cases could evaluate the person’s medical records to determine if negligence occurred. Additional testimony from an independent medical expert could also be obtained by the attorney. An attorney might manage negotiations for a settlement and proceed to trial if the offer was inadequate.
