THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412210230
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
The Dare County Board of Commissioners and the Health Department have been named as defendants in a medical malpractice suit filed on behalf of a Kill Devil Hills woman.
The suit, filed in Dare County Superior Court, alleges that county health officials were negligent in informing Mary Estes, 34, of abnormalities in a pap smear administered by the health department, and that the department was guilty of medical malpractice in its handling of the case.
Contacted Tuesday morning, county officials denied the allegations.
The five-page complaint alleges that the plaintiff had a pap smear in November 1991, and that health officials failed to inform her of the test results, of abnormalities in those results, and of the ramifications.
The suit alleges that because the plaintiff was not informed of the seriousness of her condition, she did not seek further medical attention, and as a result, her conditioned worsened.
Estes had a second pap smear in March 1994.
Following those results, she scheduled follow-up treatment, the suit says. A colposcopy revealed that Estes had cancer.
The complaint alleges that because of negligence, and the failure to provide Estes with adequate medical care, she has had ``unnecessary pain and suffering, anxiety and mental distress, loss of income and permanent injury.''
Her attorney, David Dixon, said that Estes was operated on for cancer and has recovered.
The suit does not specify a dollar amount.
Dare County Public Information Officer Charles Hartig said the suit has been turned over to the county's liability insurance carrier - Sedgewick James of the Carolinas - a Columbia, S.C., firm.
``The only comment I can make is the suit has been referred to our insurance carrier to see if a settlement can be reached with the plaintiff,'' Hartig said.
Asked if the settlement discussions amount to an admission of liability on the part of the county, Hartig said, ``No, we continue to deny the allegations.''
KEYWORDS: LAWSUIT MALPRACTICE SUIT by CNB