When Is a Doctor’s Diagnostic Mistake Considered Medical Malpractice?

 Posted on November 20, 2020 in Medical Malpractice

One of the most important responsibilities a physician has is to recognize the signs and symptoms of an illness and accurately diagnose the medical condition from which a patient suffers. The sooner a patient receives a diagnosis, the sooner he or she can start treatment. In most cases, illnesses and diseases that are diagnosed early in the disease’s progression are easier to treat than diseases that have already considerably advanced. Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis can lead to preventable patient suffering, worsened medical conditions, and even patient death. If you or a loved one were misdiagnosed or did not receive a timely diagnosis, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim.

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis Can Lead to Unnecessary Patient Suffering
The human body is immeasurably complex. Doctors cannot always know with 100 percent certainty the cause of a patient’s symptoms. However, physicians and other medical professionals are expected to meet a certain degree of accuracy regarding patient diagnoses. If you or a loved one were misdiagnosed with the wrong medical condition, you may be unsure of whether the misdiagnosis was caused by medical negligence. Misdiagnosis can cause significant suffering. You or your loved one may have undergone pointless medical treatments and endured unnecessary pain and suffering. Because the true cause of the symptoms was not identified, the disease may have worsened considerably during the time between the misdiagnosis and the correct diagnosis.

Delayed diagnosis refers to a situation in which a doctor or specialist does not recognize a patient’s medical affliction until much later than would be expected. A missed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis may be caused by a doctor’s failure to account for the patient’s medical history or family medical history. It may also be caused by the doctor’s dismissal of the patient’s symptoms, failure to order the right type of diagnostic tests, or another oversight.

A Doctor’s Failure to Meet the Medical Standard of Care
Doctors are not expected to be perfect, but they are expected to be competent. Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other medical professional fails to meet the “medical standard of care” and this failure causes the patient’s injury or death. The medical standard of care refers to the quality of care that a reasonably competent medical professional of the same education and skill level would have provided in a similar situation. Through a medical malpractice claim, the victim of the diagnostic mistake, or the victim’s surviving loved ones, may receive financial compensation for damages.

Contact a Decatur Misdiagnosis Lawyer
If you or a loved one were the victim of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, you could be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, funeral and burial costs, and more. Contact a Peoria medical malpractice attorney at Kanoski Bresney to learn more. Call us today at 888-826-8682 to schedule a free, no-obligation case assessment.

Source:
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33263