Kaiser Failed to Diagnose A Woman’s Child, She Claims

4-10-2014 02:18:00

     SACRAMENTO (CN) - Kaiser hospital staff failed to properly diagnose a woman’s child with adolescent idiopathic Scoliosis, she claims in a Sacramento County Superior Court complaint.
     Deanna Pittman was a Kaiser patient from September 2004 to September 2009, enough time for Kaiser staff to discover and diagnose Deanna’s condition, she alleges in the complaint, through her guardian ad litem and mother, Diane Pittman.
     Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that occurs in children between 10 and 18 years of age. Its cause is unknown, but there are “accurate methods to determine the risk for curve progression of scoliosis and good methods of treatment,” according to the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS).
     The SRS says there are tests that can determine the risk that a “mild scoliotic curve” increases, including genetic screening, called the “ScoliScore,” and clinical and x-ray information.
Deanna, however, says she did not learn of the “defendants’ negligent treatment and failure to diagnose” until April 24, 2013.
She says that as a result, she suffered “some permanent disability,” and will expend significant time and money trying to correct the problem.
     Deanna was “required to and did employ, and will be required in the future to employ, physicians and surgeons to examine, treat and care for her and did incur, and will in the future incur, medical and incidental expenses,” the complaint states.
     Diane Pittman seeks medical and incidental expense damages, loss of earnings damages, general damages, and a jury trial.
     The plaintiff is represented by C. Brooks Cutter, John R. Parker, Jr. and Tiffany T. Tran of Kershaw Cutter & Ratinoff.