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Doctors are highly trained
professionals and patients trust them to
make informed, accurate decisions about
serious health care issues. Yet experts
estimate that doctors misdiagnose up to 20
percent of fatal illnesses. Even simple
health conditions can be misdiagnosed, and
an injury or illness that should have been
easily treated turns into a much more
serious issue.
Multiple factors can play a role in
misdiagnosis, including:
- Failure to order a diagnostic test
- Misinterpretation of test results
- Failure to create a follow-up plan
with the patient
- Failure to take the patient’s full
medical history
- Failure to conduct a physical exam
- Error in judgment, faulty memory or
medical knowledge, and handing over a
patient to another doctor
When these mistakes occur, patients truly
suffer – and the tragedy is that so many of
these errors are preventable. The results of
misdiagnosis can range from temporary
illness or discomfort to death.
- Conditions including colorectal
cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer,
heart attack or appendicitis are all
treatable at early stages. When a
medical provider fails to properly
diagnose these illnesses in a timely
manner, the consequences can be fatal.
- Injuries that aren’t properly
diagnosed may cause unnecessary
suffering when the wrong treatment is
prescribed. Broken bones and other
serious injuries can be extremely
painful, but if they are mistaken for
sprains or other conditions, the patient
does not receive adequate care to
relieve their symptoms.
- Labor and delivery are common
procedures in most hospitals, yet often
medical professionals overlook important
signs of distress to the mother or baby.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to
misdiagnosis, the medical provider
responsible for the mistake should be held
accountable and you may be entitled to
financial compensation. A medical
malpractice attorney can help evaluate the
circumstances of your injury or illness and
determine whether you have a case. Your
medical misdiagnosis lawyer should work to
evaluate whether health care standards were
met, and provide you with qualified opinions
on any long-term health issues. Finally,
your medical malpractice lawyer should
prepare an effective case strategy designed
to meet the needs of you or your family.
If you believe you may have a
misdiagnosis claim, contact an experienced
medical misdiagnosis attorney. Most
malpractice law firms provide FREE initial
case reviews, but you have a limited time to
file a lawsuit, so prompt legal action is
important.
Contact a medical malpractice lawyer
attorney today.
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