The Texas Supreme Court has made a groundbreaking decision in favor of a young woman who underwent a double mastectomy at 19. Soren Aldaco, now 22 and a student at the University of Texas at Austin, is suing her former therapist and medical providers for allegedly enabling her body-altering procedure.
Aldaco's case has been a battle over the timing of her lawsuit's filing. Under Texas medical malpractice law, a patient generally has a two-year window to file a lawsuit. However, a dispute arose over when the countdown began. The medical group that conducted the double mastectomy advised Aldaco to obtain a therapist's letter, which fell outside the two-year window.
The Texas Supreme Court has now reversed a lower court's finding that Aldaco's lawsuit was "time-barred." The Court concluded that the statute of limitations began when the injury occurred, not the date of the therapist's referral. This decision sets a significant precedent, allowing Aldaco's case to proceed against her former therapist and medical providers.
Aldaco spoke about the ruling, calling it a "huge" win. "It sets precedent that in this unique area of law, providers can't skirt accountability by playing with the dates and the statute of limitations," she said. Aldaco emphasized that her goal is to seek justice against the providers who took advantage of her vulnerable mental state.
The Texas Supreme Court's unanimous ruling has sent shockwaves beyond the state. Aldaco stated that the direct impact will be felt at home, but providers across the country and federally will now think twice about their responsibility to patients. Patients will see that they deserve to be protected and taken seriously, according to Aldaco.
Aldaco's statement highlighted the significance of the ruling, saying, "It always astonishes me to find myself at the center of a moment this big, because I do this work for the people who come after me—and that means I sometimes lose myself in the weight of it. Today the Texas Supreme Court unanimously ruled that my case deserves to be heard, and that providers implicated in harming vulnerable patients can't twist the statute of limitations to escape accountability."
