A Houston federal jury has awarded $67 million to a 51-year-old former teacher after finding that Houston Methodist Hospital system failed to follow up on abnormal CT scan results for 14 months — a delay during which her kidney cancer progressed from a curable stage II to a terminal stage IV diagnosis.
The plaintiff, Angela Tran, underwent a routine CT scan in April 2023 that showed a 2.1 cm mass on her right kidney, flagged in the radiologist’s report as “suspicious for renal cell carcinoma — recommend urology follow-up within 30 days.” No follow-up was ordered. Tran was never informed of the finding.
How the Failure Happened
Evidence at trial showed the radiologist’s report was filed in Houston Methodist’s electronic health record system but was never routed to Tran’s primary care physician due to a workflow configuration error introduced during a software update. Internal records showed the IT department had been notified of the routing flaw six weeks after Tran’s scan but had not issued an alert to flag historical cases.
By June 2024, Tran presented to a different emergency room with severe flank pain. Imaging revealed a 7.8 cm mass with metastases to her lymph nodes and lungs.
The Verdict
After eight days of trial, the jury deliberated for less than four hours before returning a verdict of $67 million: $4.2 million in past medical expenses, $18 million in future medical costs, $15 million in lost earnings, and $29.8 million in pain and suffering.
Houston Methodist said it “extends sincere sympathy to Ms. Tran and her family” and is “reviewing the verdict with legal counsel.” The hospital system did not admit liability during trial.
Takeaway for Patients
Medical malpractice attorneys advise patients to always request written confirmation of any imaging results and to follow up directly with their physician if they haven’t received a report within two weeks.