‘A great tragedy’: $10.5M settlement reached after doctors missed N.J. lawyer’s lung cancer - NJ.com

What the report says

NJ.com reports that a $10.5 million settlement has been reached in a case involving the death of Brian Coven, a New Jersey lawyer whose lung cancer was allegedly missed by doctors at Summit Medical Group. According to the outlet’s headline and summary, the claim centered on allegations that medical providers overlooked signs of Coven’s cancer for three years before his death in 2024.

The available NJ.com text does not include the full complaint, court record details, the names of individual doctors, or the terms of the settlement beyond the reported dollar amount. It also does not state whether Summit Medical Group or any providers admitted liability. For that reason, the allegations should be treated as claims resolved through a settlement, not as findings by a court unless further records confirm otherwise.

The case is significant because it concerns a high-value medical malpractice resolution tied to an alleged delayed cancer diagnosis. In general, lung cancer outcomes can depend heavily on when the disease is detected and whether treatment begins before it advances, which is why missed or delayed diagnosis claims often focus on imaging, symptoms, referrals, and follow-up care.

NJ.com framed the matter as “a great tragedy” and identified Coven as a New Jersey attorney. The report was published in July 2026 and appears in the outlet’s Essex coverage. Further details from the full article or court filings would be needed to clarify the medical timeline, the defendants’ responses, and how the settlement will be distributed.