A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania medical malpractice jury returned its verdict on May 14, 2026 in favor of a 78-year-old woman who lost most of her colon, her left hand, thumb, and big toe as a result of medical malpractice. The jury awarded $2.5 million in non-economic damages, $2.5 million in future medical expenses, and $95,000 for past medical expenses.
The plaintiff’s Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawsuit alleged that the defendant gastroenterologist misdiagnosed her in 2014 with ulcerative colitis after performing a colonoscopy in response to her complaint of rectal bleeding. The defendant allegedly misdiagnosed the woman’s diverticulosis as ulcerative colitis on four subsequent occasions following colonoscopies.
In 2020, the defendant prescribed steroids for the plaintiff. The plaintiff allegedly called the defendant’s office multiple times over the period of one month in 2020, complaining about abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and vomiting, She was reportedly told to continue taking the steroids but was not referred to an ER for a CT scan.
The plaintiff alleged that two days after her last call to the defendant, she collapsed while on vacation in South Carolina. She was brought to an ER after which emergency surgery was performed during which most of her colon was removed. She has a permanent ileostomy bag as a result.
In December 2020, she required amputation of her left hand, right thumb, and left big toe.
Diverticulosis
According to the Cleveland Clinic, diverticulosis is the condition of having small pouches or pockets in the inside walls of your intestines. They develop when the inside lining of your intestines pushes into weak spots in the outer wall. This usually happens gradually over time. As you’re digesting food and food waste makes its way through your intestines each day, it pushes against the weak spots until they eventually begin to cave in.
In the U.S., 30% of people over 50, 50% of people over 60 and 75% of people over 80 have diverticulosis. Almost all of them have it in the last part of their colon (sigmoid colon). Diverticulosis is uncommon before the age of 40.
Most people won’t need treatment for diverticulosis itself. They won’t cause problems for most people, but if they cause problems for you, you’ll have to adjust your lifestyle to account for them.
In summary, diverticulosis is a common condition that can develop in your colon, especially as you get older. It means that little pouches form in the inside lining of your colon. They usually don’t cause any problems. But rarely, they may bleed or develop an infection (diverticulitis).
If you or a loved one may have been injured as a result of medical malpractice in Pennsylvania or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
Click here to visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find medical malpractice attorneys in your state who may assist you.
Turn to us when you don’t know where to turn.