A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit that accused doctors at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) of medical malpractice after they failed to identify and treat a Poland man with cancer.
According to the Portland Press Herald, Michael Whittier and his wife, Nancy Whittier, filed a lawsuit against CMMC alleging medical malpractice, fraudulent concealment, continuing negligent treatment, and Nancy Whittier’s loss of care, comfort and companionship of her husband, after CMMC failed to inform Whittier of his risk of prostate cancer.
Their negligence, the complaint said, allowed Whittier’s cancer to spread, which may have been treatable if they had followed standard medical procedures when they first became aware of Whittier’s risk of prostate cancer in 2016.
CMMC’s records indicate Whittier was sent to a different hospital to be tested after his doctor noted an “enlarged prostate”. The results, which were sent to CMMC in January of 2016, came back showing dangerous levels of an antigen that suggested Whittier was at high risk of prostate cancer. CMMC, according to the civil complaint, never informed Whittier of the results. The complaint also states that the hospital didn’t schedule a follow up report and evaluation or refer Whitter to a urologist despite seeing him at least 6 times between 2017-2020.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Whittier was referred to a urologist and confirmed that Whittier had tested positive for prostate cancer.
Whittier underwent surgery to remove all or part of his prostate in 2021 but the cancer had spread by that point and Whittier has been told that he will likely die from prostate cancer.
Whittier and his wife received an undisclosed amount Wednesday after the settlement was reached.
