Family May File Malpractice Suit in Case of Daughter's Death

By Robert Carrier

Published on October 08, 2007

Anne Ryan, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with a viral infection when she went into the university hospital on the 6th of September with symptoms including a high fever, back pain, neck pain, and difficulty walking. Three days later, she was so ill she couldn't walk or speak. The following Saturday, Anne Ryan was admitted to the emergency room for the second time. Anne died early the next morning.

University doctors and the Delaware chief medical examiner both performed autopsies and determined that Anne had died as a result of meningococcal meningitis, which is a bacterial disease that, if untreated, can cause death by inflaming the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

The parents of Anne Ryan have hired lawyer Thomas Kline to determine whether a lawsuit should be filed or not. Their lawyer has argued that the hospital made an egregiously wrong misdiagnosis, and that Anne's death was the result of this diagnosis.

According to university spokeswoman Lori Doyle, the University of Pennsylvania hospital is maintaining that Anne received timely and dedicated care from a staff of professional experts. The university has promised to cooperate with Thomas Kline's investigation by providing him with Anne Ryan's medical records, and the results of the spinal tap originally performed to diagnose her condition.

Thomas Kline and the Ryan family have yet to file a malpractice suit against the university or the hospital.

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