Belgrade Girl At Center Of Supreme Court Ruling Dies

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The 7-year-old Belgrade girl whose rare cancer led to a precedent-setting malpractice ruling by the state Supreme Court has died, according to the family's attorney.

Jocelyn Dickhoff was 2 weeks old when her parents took her to a doctor because of a suspicious lump. Jocelyn was 13 months when a specialist finally diagnosed her with a muscular cancer.

Kayla and Joseph Dickhoff sued the physician they say failed to diagnose the cancer before it spread and reduced the odds of recovery. The case made its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court where the justices recently ruled that state law allows a patient to seek damages if a doctor's negligence reduces a patient's chances of recovery or survival.

Attorney Kay Nord Hunt says a funeral service will be held Friday in Belgrade.