Doctors must carefully evaluate a patient’s symptoms and diagnose promptly and accurately. Medical misdiagnosis can cause a patient’s medical condition to become much more serious or potentially fatal. In addition to worsening a patient’s condition, a medical misdiagnosis can also cause unnecessary stress, anxiety, pain, costly medical expenses, and suffering.
If you have experienced worsening of your medical condition due to a misdiagnosis, you may have the right to pursue damages. The medical malpractice attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC are here to help you. We will review the facts in your case to see if you have a valid medical misdiagnosis case. Contact the Long Island medical malpractice attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
How Do Medical Misdiagnoses Occur?
When patients visit their doctors, they expect their doctors to evaluate their medical conditions correctly. Doctors have expertise that allows them to consider all possible patient conditions. Additionally, doctors are responsible for ordering diagnostic tests, when necessary, to narrow down potential patient conditions. When doctors fail to use reasonable care, they may misdiagnose a patient, causing their condition to worsen.
When a patient has a serious condition like cancer, misdiagnosis can delay treatment and cause a patient’s untimely death. Non-fatal misdiagnoses can cause a patient to suffer wasted money, time, tests, and painful therapies. There’s always a possibility that the patient will suffer unnecessary side effects because they took unneeded medication or underwent unnecessary treatment. The majority of medical misdiagnosis cases involve the following circumstances:
- The doctor diagnoses a patient with the wrong disease or medical condition
- The doctor fails to diagnose a patient in a reasonable amount of time
- The doctor correctly diagnoses the condition but doesn’t identify the underlying cause
- A patient’s medication side effects are mistaken for an illness
Medical Misdiagnosis Cases We Handle in Nassau & Suffolk County
Misdiagnosis of medical conditions is far more common than many people realize. Many patients will experience misdiagnosis at some point in their lives, putting them at risk of unnecessary medical harm. However, some medical conditions and illnesses are misdiagnosed or misidentified more often than others. Anytime a patient receives incorrect medical treatment or undergoes unnecessary procedures, he or she can suffer significant harm. It is possible that a patient’s health can be seriously compromised when they are misdiagnosed with the following medical conditions:
- Cancer
- Appendicitis
- Infections
- Stroke
- Heart attacks
- Bleeding brain injuries
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Meningitis and encephalitis
- Peritonitis
- Pulmonary embolism
- Sepsis
- Diabetes
Cancer Diagnosis
The sooner a patient receives treatment for cancer, the better his or her prognosis. When doctors misdiagnose cancer as another, less serious condition, cancer can spread at a rapid rate. Without a proper diagnosis, cancer can become so severe that the patient is no longer eligible for life-saving radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery. We have represented patients and their loved ones misdiagnosed with various cancers, including bowel, breast, skin, and lung cancer.
Heart Attack Misdiagnosis
When a patient is experiencing a heart attack, immediate medical attention is crucial to prevent further damage to his or her heart and body. The victim may suffer even more damage when appropriate medical care is delayed because of a missed diagnosis. Failure to diagnose heart attacks can lead to a patient returning home without proper medical care and suffering a fatal heart attack at home.
Stroke Misdiagnosis
Similarly, patients must receive prompt medical attention if they have a stroke. Medical professionals have a duty of care to follow established practices when they suspect that a stroke may be occurring. When these criteria have been met, doctors must immediately engage in diagnostic procedures.
When doctors don’t treat a stroke patient effectively and promptly, the patient could suffer significant long-term consequences. For example, when a stroke is treated quickly with surgery, doctors may be able to limit the pressure or bleeding that occurs in the patient’s brain. As a result, the patient could have a much better prognosis, including mobility and functional skills, in the future. When doctors misdiagnose strokes, patients can die from the stroke in severe cases.
The Benefits of Working with a Skilled Attorney
When pursuing financial compensation through a medical malpractice claim, the first step is to discuss your case with an experienced attorney. At Dell & Dean, PLLC, our legal team in Nassau & Suffolk County on Long Island has the knowledge and resources to investigate your case carefully. We will ask you questions to better understand your situation and discuss your legal options. Proving medical malpractice can be challenging, especially because most medical professionals have liability insurance. When a patient pursues a claim, the insurance company may immediately assign attorneys to work on the case to avoid compensating the victim.
Level the Playing Field with a Skilled Medical Misdiagnosis Attorney
Speaking to an attorney helps you level the playing field and begin the investigation process promptly. Additionally, an attorney can communicate with the insurance company or defend it and negotiate the best settlement possible. No matter the specific circumstances of your case, you deserve an experienced attorney who will give you the best chance possible to recover the total and fair amount of compensation you deserve.
To recover compensation, victims must prove that the medical provider’s negligence caused their injuries that resulted in damages. Specifically, to prove negligence, you must show that the misdiagnosis was the cause of the damages. For example, if you had to undergo dangerous or painful treatments that weren’t necessary because you were misdiagnosed, or you lost valuable time by not treating your medical condition. In that case, you can recover compensation for these damages.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Medical Malpractice Attorney
At Dell & Dean, PLLC, we understand that victims of medical malpractice can face significant challenges ranging from costly medical expenses to painful medical treatments. We offer potential clients a free case evaluation without the financial burden of paying for the consultation. If you or your loved one have been injured due to the misdiagnosis of a medical condition, we are here to help. Contact Dell & Dean, PLLC today to schedule a no-obligation consultation and learn more about your legal rights.
Dell & Dean, PLLC represents misdiagnosis victims throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island as well as the boroughs of New York City, and the surrounding areas.
