Kim Kardashian-backed MRI firm sued for missing 'obvious' stroke signs
What's the story
A 37-year-old father of two has filed a lawsuit against Prenuvo, a healthcare startup endorsed by Kim Kardashian and backed by prominent investors like 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki, The Independent reported. The suit alleges that the company failed to detect clear signs of an impending stroke during an AI-assisted full-body scan. This alleged misdiagnosis has left Sean Clifford with severe physical impairments including extensive paralysis on his left side and cognitive delays.
Misdiagnosis impact
Alleged misdiagnosis leads to catastrophic stroke
Clifford, a New Jersey resident, paid $2,500 for the scan in July 2023. The procedure is marketed as a comprehensive health check that can detect "hundreds of conditions." However, nine months after his scan at Prenuvo, Clifford suffered a "full-blown catastrophic stroke...in the exact same area...where he had the Prenuvo scan," necessitating three emergency brain surgeries.
Legal proceedings
Lawsuit details severe consequences of alleged misdiagnosis
The lawsuit details the severe consequences Clifford has faced due to this alleged misdiagnosis, including permanent double vision, cognitive delays, speech impairment, bladder control issues and "profound neurological deficits." His attorney, Neal Bhushan, described the situation as "devastating" and stated that it "could have been prevented had the MRI scan been properly interpreted."
Report scrutiny
Prenuvo's report allegedly missed crucial information
Bhushan pointed out that Clifford's Prenuvo report "clearly shows" a 60% narrowing of the proximal right middle cerebral artery, as per a third-party neurologist hired by the family. "This should have been documented in the MRI report," Bhushan said. The lawsuit claims that if caught in time, the blocked blood vessel could have been treated with minimally invasive procedures. Now, Clifford will require lifelong therapies and special education.
Company growth
Prenuvo's high-profile endorsements and future expansion plans
Prenuvo, which currently operates over a dozen clinics across the US and Canada, has raised more than $70 million from investors including Wojcicki, supermodel Cindy Crawford, Nest Labs founder Tony Fadell and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The company has received endorsements from celebrities like Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Maria Menounos. Clifford is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages to be determined by a jury.