Opening statements were presented Tuesday in Chester County for a malpractice suit in which the University of Pennsylvania Health System is named, among other hospitals and individuals, as an alleged contributor to the death of a cancer patient.
The lawsuit also names Heidi Weston, a former primary practitioner at the Health System and Pottstown Memorial Hospital, in the February 2009 death of Lathenia Petty. Petty’s death was allegedly caused by medical negligence in dealing with her breast cancer.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Petty first visited Weston in February 2005 after discovering a lump in her breast. A prescribed ultrasound was performed two months later at Pottstown Memorial Hospital, and a radiologist determined that a biopsy was required to check for cancer.
Afterward, a number of errors allegedly occurred, such as the radiologist’s report being faxed to an incorrect number and Weston failing to follow up on Petty’s lump for over a year.
Though neither the prosecution nor defense returned requests for comment Monday, the Inquirer reported that the lawyer for Petty’s family, Thomas R. Kline, said the biopsy occurred at a stage when “she [was] not curable.” James A. Young, lawyer for Weston and the Health System, reportedly said Weston “met the standard of care” and “did what she was supposed to do.”
Health System spokeswoman Susan Phillips declined to comment on the ongoing trial, which will continue today and into the week.
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