Failure to Medically Diagnose Can Be Life-Altering

When you seek medical care, you are trusting your doctor’s ability to make informed decisions and an appropriate clinical diagnosis. You expect them to follow up on tests while monitoring your current condition. Insignificant errors may not cause serious problems, but sometimes, medical errors such as failing to diagnose or providing an incorrect diagnosis can lead to significant physical problems, economic losses, disability or even death. Claims to address these errors fall under the umbrella of medical malpractice.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice lawsuits arise when mistakes, errors or negligence cause harm to a patient. These lawsuits serve two purposes. First, they may recover compensation for injuries, and second, they may stop the error from happening again.

Medical malpractice can cover a variety of situations, from surgical and anesthesia errors to hospital acquired infections and failure to diagnose. As the claims vary in severity and scope, it is extremely important to have an experienced lawyer to help you navigate the process.

Not All Poor Outcomes Are Medical Malpractice

As an example, a patient undergoing a procedure has the risks explained to them. The procedure is performed as expected of a competent professional and the patient has complications that are in line with the risks. This is usually not malpractice. However, when the medical professional does not meet the expected standard of care, it may be medical malpractice.

The same is true for failure to diagnose. If a medical professional determined there are no signs or symptoms of a problem, it would not make sense for them to develop a treatment plan. However, if most physicians would have identified the signs of illness and investigated further based on a given standard of practice, there may be a claim for medical malpractice.

Consequences of Failure to Diagnose

When there is a serious error, you may suffer an injury from an acute incident that was misdiagnosed, such as a stroke. Your treatment for a significant illness may have been delayed. You may have been given the wrong treatment for an extended period, which may itself be harmful.

If you believe you have been injured due to a failure to diagnose, contact Conley Griggs Partin LLP today for your free consultation.