Misdiagnosed Ectopic Pregnancy Suit Must Go to Trial, Court Says

A New York woman can proceed to trial against a group of medical providers who, she says, negligently misdiagnosed an intrauterine pregnancy as ectopic and unnecessarily performed surgery and prescribed a drug to end it, a state appeals court said.

The woman’s expert witnesses raised sufficient questions of fact as to whether the providers breached the relevant standard of care by performing surgery before confirming that the pregnancy was ectopic and by misreading ultrasound examinations that showed a viable pregnancy, the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department, said Thursday. The court overturned summary judgment for the defendants.

The ...