Woman sues after undergoing treatment for tuberculosis following false diagnosis

GRETNA – A Jefferson Parish woman is suing a diagnostics company for allegedly misdiagnosing her with tuberculosis.

Evelyn Boudreaux filed suit against Quest Diagnostics Incorporated in the 24th Judicial District Court on June 5.

Boudreaux claims she was sent by her employer Hand Surgical Associates to a Quest Diagnostics lab to receive a tuberculosis test. The plaintiff alleges that the defendant heralded their tuberculosis testing equipment as state of the art and that on Aug. 9, 2012 the sample returned a positive result, showing that she had tuberculosis, she immediately sought medical treatment from specialists. Boudreaux asserts that her treatment involved a number of different medications that carried severe side effects.

Boudreaux alleges that on Oct. 12, 2012 she received a notice from Quest that the tests within the lot that contained the same one that had been used on her were thought to be defective, however, they did not ask her to retest for tuberculosis until they sent another letter on Nov. 27, 2012.

The defendant is accused of choosing inappropriate testing mechanisms, incorrectly reporting the results of the blood test, creating and manufacturing an ineffective test, creating a test that cause false positive results, failing to discover the deficiencies with the test and failing to reveal the test was deficient.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for medication side effects, medical expenses, fear of dreadful illness, physical pain and suffering, mental pain and suffering, inconvenience, embarrassment, loss of income and loss of society.

Boudreaux is represented by Arita L. Bohannan of Kenner-based Bohannan, Rogers & Associates.

The case has been assigned to Division O Judge Ross P. LaDart.

Case no. 727-665.