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$750,000 Settlement for Delayed Prostate Cancer Diagnosis of Vietnam Veteran

Rawls Law Group is pleased to report that we have secured a $750,000 settlement from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 


Our client, a Vietnam veteran, diligently saw his primary care doctor at a VA facility in New Jersey for regular checkups every six months for more than a decade.  Over a five-year period, blood work showed the veteran’s PSA levels were dangerously high and increasing at each visit.  Elevated PSA levels are often an early sign of prostate cancer.  Despite the obvious problem staring the VA doctor in the face, he completely ignored the veteran’s concerning lab results for half a decade. 


Our client did in fact have prostate cancer, and over the course of the lengthy delay in treatment, the cancer grew in size.  By the time it was diagnosed by a private medical provider outside the VA system, the cancer had advanced to the most severe and aggressive form of prostate cancer.


Thankfully, the veteran survived after lengthy and debilitating cancer treatment.  We filed a Federal Tort Claim on his behalf and when the VA would not settle the case, we filed suit in federal court.  After taking the VA doctor’s deposition, the government agreed to pause the litigation and instead go to a settlement conference.  After spending several hours in negotiations with the government, we were able to settle the case for our client for $750,000.

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