What if I Was Misdiagnosed or Diagnosed Too Late?
Each year, over 424,000 individuals suffer permanent disability caused by a physician’s negligence. If you were misdiagnosed or experienced a delay in diagnosis, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. A successful malpractice claim is based on more than a medical professional’s error, but rather a failure to perform their due diligence, resulting in substantial harm to the patient. If you have been among many impacted by a physician’s failure to meet their professional duties, our Greenville misdiagnosis attorneys would like to hear from you.
How is the Standard of Care Determined?
Medical negligence is based on a medical provider’s inability to adhere to the expected standard of care. While there is no denying that certain conditions may present with overlapping symptoms, it is up to a physician or other medical professional to take a thorough history and physical examination to rule out diagnoses. After which, a provider can run the appropriate tests to reach the correct diagnosis.
This process of elimination requires specialized training, which is why medical providers are held to such a high standard of care. The appropriate standard of care is determined by comparing the steps a provider in the same field would take when presented with the same or similar circumstances.
Reasons for Misdiagnoses or Delayed Diagnoses
The medical profession has been under intense scrutiny in the past few years, and rightfully so. A shortage of providers coupled with heavy workloads result in short visits, compromising patient care. Although physicians must work within certain constraints, this is no excuse for you to suffer harm because of a broken system.
In addition to the above reasons, a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis can also stem from the following causes:
- A medical provider’s failure to order the appropriate test or tests;
- A medical provider misinterpreting test results;
- Understaffing;
- Miscommunication between members of a patient’s care team;
- Mixing up patient charts; and
- A provider’s lack of experience or sufficient knowledge in a specific area.
Consequences of Diagnostic Errors
Receiving the wrong diagnosis or having to wait to receive a diagnosis comes with its own risks. In minor cases, a patient may remain in agony, waiting to begin the appropriate treatment to ease their symptoms. In severe cases, a disease may have time to progress to a point where it can have fatal consequences. For example, a delayed cancer diagnosis may result in the tumors having time to spread to vital organs, causing irreparable damage. By identifying the specific misconduct that caused your suffering, you may be able to recover for your injuries.
Speak with Our Greenville Misdiagnosis Lawyers Today
A provider’s failure to diagnose appropriately or in a timely manner should not go unpunished. If you have been affected by a medical professional’s actions or failure to act, you deserve compensation for the harm you sustained. Knowing where to begin can be difficult, which is why you should seek the guidance of our Greenville misdiagnosis lawyers.
At Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC, our legal team has experience gathering all the necessary information to determine where the negligence likely occurred. This investigative process takes a keen eye, which is just the challenge our malpractice team is eager to take. To arrange your free consultation, our office can be reached online or by phone at (864) 432-1796 today.