The Duffy Firm to Represent South Jersey Family in Son’s Fatal Missed Diagnosis
(Philadelphia) – The Duffy Firm, a top Philadelphia personal injury law firm, has been retained to represent the family of Louis-Hunter Kean, a South Jersey man whose prolonged illness and death drew widespread attention after a recent investigative report in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Kean, just 34 years of age, died in November 2023 after months of unexplained fevers, organ swelling, and repeated hospitalizations. According to medical records, he was admitted to the hospital five separate times over a six-month period, where dozens of specialists at Penn Medicine tried to figure out what was making him so sick. As more doctors became involved, his medical record grew longer and more complicated. Despite all the attention, important details -- including his full travel history -- were allegedly not fully explored, and it appeared some of the treatments he received during this time made his condition worse instead of better.
Kean’s family alleges that critical warning signs were not fully connected and that key diagnostic steps were delayed during his care at Penn Medicine. The infection that was ultimately identified -- visceral leishmaniasis, a rare but treatable parasitic disease when caught early -- was diagnosed only after his condition had deteriorated beyond recovery.
Following his death, the Kean family filed suit, choosing top catastrophic injury attorney Tom Duffy to represent them. Duffy brings extensive experience handling complex medical negligence cases involving misdiagnosis and failures to meet the standard of care. His work includes securing Pennsylvania’s largest medical malpractice verdict in 2024 -- a $43.5 million verdict against Temple University Hospital that was also ranked among the top 10 in the nation.
The Duffy Firm has secured hundreds of millions for victims of injury in Philadelphia, including the largest medical malpractice settlement in Pennsylvania history, and the largest general liability settlement for a minor in Pennsylvania history. Learn more at duffyfirm.com.
