A California resident has filed a lawsuit against two doctors and a medical group, alleging severe medical negligence that led to his deteriorating health condition. Christopher Cruickshank initiated the complaint on April 1, 2025, in the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco against Steven Howard, M.D., Firoozeh Dastmalchi, M.D., and Downtown Medical Group.
According to the complaint, Christopher Cruickshank visited Downtown Medical Group in June 2023 seeking a primary care physician. During his visits, he was examined by Dr. Firoozeh Dastmalchi and later by Dr. Steven Howard. The plaintiff alleges that both doctors failed to properly diagnose his kidney disease despite clear indicators such as low eGFR levels and high creatinine levels. The oversight allegedly led to severe health complications including anemia and stage 4 end-stage kidney disease by June 2024. The lawsuit claims that both doctors misdiagnosed him with high blood pressure and failed to communicate critical test results indicative of kidney dysfunction.
The plaintiff contends that the negligence extended beyond individual practitioners to include systemic failures at Downtown Medical Group. The medical corporation is accused of not ensuring its staff's qualifications and failing to maintain high standards of professional practice as required by California law. This lack of oversight allegedly contributed significantly to the substandard care received by Cruickshank.
Christopher Cruickshank seeks comprehensive damages from the court, including general damages for negligence, special damages for incurred medical expenses, compensation for lost earnings due to an inability to work, and damages for emotional distress. He also requests compensation for permanent or temporary disability and loss of homemaking services among other reliefs.
The case is represented by attorney Koorosh K. Shahrokh from National Choice Lawyers. It is filed under Case No: CGC-25-623848 with no specific judge assigned yet.