Regis M. Reilly a 53 year old man from California was awarded $5.7 million after a jury determined him dermatologist was liable for his failure to diagnose Reilly’s skin cancer. Dr. Powers failed to biopsy a cyst that had been removed from Reilly. The cyst later became cancerous.
Reilly is now bedridden and receives 24 hour a day care. He was awarded $1.6 million for pain and suffering and $1.1 million for his lost income due to the cancer. His wife also received $3 million for the impact the cancer has had on their marriage. The award, however, will be cut to $1.9 million because of malpractice caps in California. Tort reform has again punished an innocent victim. The Reilly family deserves every penny the jury awarded to them and if they did not, statistics show the jury would never have found for Regis Reilly.
