Misdiagnosis, Failing to Diagnose, or Delay in a Diagnosis
A medical professional, including a doctor, nurse, technician, or health facility, can harm a patient in a broad number of ways. When any medical professional fails to abide by the accepted standards of care, and a patient is injured, it is considered to be medical malpractice. One of the most common forms of this type of negligence is misdiagnosis and can lead to liability issues. As a medical malpractice lawyer, we know that these cases are difficult to navigate and are prone to having evidence destroyed or tainted. The sooner you consult a medical malpractice lawyer, the better the chances of building an irrefutable claim. Please call Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. to find out how we may be able to help you and your family.
Misdiagnosis
Whenever you are ill, you will likely want to understand what is wrong, how to treat the condition, and what you can expect in terms of recovery. You also might expect a doctor to be able to address these concerns that begin with an investigation and diagnosis.
Unfortunately, a number of illnesses have overlapping symptoms. This can result in misdiagnosis which can have a domino like effect in that your true health condition is not properly treated. In serious circumstances misdiagnosis can worsen the condition or result in you being treated or prescribed with medications that cause you harm.
Delayed Diagnosis or Failure to Diagnose
Many health conditions do not immediately present themselves. Others begin with subtle warning signs. For example, some of the first signs with certain forms of cancer is nausea and stomach pain; of which, could be diagnosed as a stomach bug and a delay in the diagnosis of cancer.
It is prudent that a doctor listen to the patient’s complaints, review his or her past medical history and family history, and order any tests that could help to make the right diagnosis. As a medical malpractice lawyer, we have helped clients who have not immediately been diagnosed with:
- Heart disease
- Appendicitis
- Brain aneurysm
- Stroke
- Infection
- Heart attack
- Aortic dissection
- Cancer
Florida Medical Malpractice Claims
In order to file a medical malpractice claim, a medical malpractice lawyer will need to show that a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional acted negligently. To prove negligence, a lawyer may ask questions like:
- Were tests ordered in a timely manner?
- Did a medical professional make a mistakes while reviewing the results?
- Did a doctor fail to follow up, even after observing certain symptoms?
- Was a patient sent home too early?
These questions can help a medical malpractice lawyer to determine whether or not a negligent mistake was made. If so, the responsible parties could be held liable for their actions. Compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, loss of consortium, disability, medical costs, and more may be available.
Although you can file these claims on your own, it is not advisable. In fact, because of their complexity, you risk losing out on money that you deserve.
Call Our Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyers Now
We handled 99% of medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not have to pay anything unless we win your case. Time is of the essence. For a free and confidential case review, call a medical malpractice lawyer from Needle & Ellenberg, P.A.