Bertram & Murphy Hold Doctors Accountable
In April 2025, a Washington, D.C. jury returned a powerful verdict in a medical malpractice case that underscored one of the most devastating failures in modern medicine: the missed opportunity to diagnose cancer when it is still treatable. The case, brought against the physician group Medical Faculty Associates, became a stark illustration of how small decisions—and missed warnings—can cascade into life-altering consequences.
The plaintiff, a man in his mid-forties, first sought medical attention in March 2018 after discovering a lump near his left rib. At the time, he did what patients are taught to do: he trusted his doctor. The physician, however, dismissed the mass as benign without ordering imaging or a biopsy. That decision would set the tone for everything that followed.
Over the next several months, the warning signs grew clearer. The lump persisted and became painful. A radiologist who reviewed an X-ray recommended further testing—specifically a CT scan—but that recommendation was never relayed to the patient, nor acted upon by the treating physician. Instead, the patient was directed toward physical therapy, a course of treatment wholly disconnected from the underlying risk.
By 2019, still without answers, the patient pushed for more definitive care. A biopsy was finally performed, yet even then the system failed him. The pathology results were misinterpreted, and he was told the growth was benign. Reassured by medical professionals, including both his primary care physician and a breast surgeon, he was given no reason to suspect that a far more dangerous reality was unfolding.
It was not until 2021—after the tumor returned and was excised again—that the truth emerged. A second pathologist, concerned by the tissue, sent it for further review. The diagnosis came back as angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Even more troubling, specialists determined that the cancer had been present in the earlier biopsy slides from 2019. By the time of the correct diagnosis, the disease had already metastasized, spreading to the patient’s liver and leaving him with a terminal prognosis.
The case went to trial in the D.C. Superior Court, where the plaintiff was represented by Catherine “Katie” Bertram and Kieran Murphy of Bertram & Murphy. Together, they crafted a narrative that focused not only on the medical errors, but on the lost opportunity—the chance the patient never had to fight his cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.
On the defense side, the case was tried on behalf of Medical Faculty Associates, the physician group affiliated with George Washington University. The defense represented the collective actions of the treating physicians and institutional medical providers involved in the patient’s care.
After a two-week trial, the jury returned a verdict of $25 million in favor of the plaintiff. The award reflected not only the severity of the patient’s condition, but also the jury’s apparent agreement that the failures in care—delayed testing, ignored recommendations, and misread pathology—constituted a profound breach of the standard of care.
What made this case particularly compelling was the way it was presented. Rather than overwhelming the jury with complex medical data or aggressive damages calculations, plaintiff’s counsel reportedly focused on clarity and accountability. They highlighted a simple but powerful truth: at multiple points in time, this cancer could have been caught—and treated.
In the end, the verdict serves as both a measure of compensation and a form of recognition. For the plaintiff, it provides access to experimental treatments and clinical trials that might extend his life. For the medical community, it stands as a reminder of the critical importance of vigilance, communication, and follow-through in patient care.