Patients go to doctors to find answers to their medical issues. A certain trust is placed in this relationship; people trust doctors to perform the tests they need for a proper diagnosis and eventual recovery. In many cases, however, doctors fail to correctly diagnose the condition. A medical error such as this may have an adverse effect on your finances, health, and quality of life.

Contact a knowledgeable attorney at Lowenthal & Abrams to discover what can happen if a doctor fails to diagnose and how you can hold them accountable.

Results of a Misdiagnosis

While a variety of outcomes can arise, one of the worst may be the continued progression of an untreated condition due to the physician’s misdiagnosis. Delaying the proper treatment in some cases may turn a very treatable illness or a minor injury into a life-threatening or life-altering condition. Examples include a progressive cancer that spreads to other parts of the body or infections that worsen without proper treatment.

Furthermore, patients may undergo needless procedures, receive unnecessary or incorrect medications, or face side effects they otherwise would not have with a proper diagnosis. Misdiagnosis could potentially cause permanent damage to the body or a fatal condition.

Emotional and Financial Effects

When a health care professional is wrong, misdiagnosis consequences are far from solely physical, as the patient may develop mistrust. This may contribute to emotional burdens on themselves and their loved ones, especially if the condition worsens.

Financing a misdiagnosis adds financial stress. Poor diagnoses may lead to medical expenses that are unnecessary or overly care-intensive. Hospitalization, specialist consultations, or emergency interventions could have been avoided if the health care professional had discovered the problem. Also, time away from work or the inability to work during recovery adds to the financial burden.

How Diagnostic Errors Happen

Poor diagnoses occur for many reasons, which include:

• Failure to order the proper tests
• Misread lab sheets or images
• Explicit dismissal of a patient’s concerns
• Lack of communication between health care providers
• Tight deadlines
• Biases
• Failure to follow up with the patient

If your care provider committed one of the above and caused a misdiagnosis, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an attorney at Lowenthal & Abrams to learn how to begin the process of a malpractice lawsuit.

Contact an Attorney if Your Physician Misdiagnosed You and Discover What To Do in a Malpractice Case

A poor medical analysis has more than just physical consequences for you or your loved ones. Often, what can happen if a doctor fails to diagnose is a long-lasting issue with a variety of effects. If a doctor has failed to identify a condition you or a loved one suffers from, you do not need to fight it alone.

Our team at Lowenthal & Abrams can help you explore your legal options. Our experienced attorneys can review your unique situation and provide both compassionate and committed advice on how to proceed with a medical negligence case. Contact us to get legal advice today.