My Doctor Misdiagnosed My Medical Condition: What Should I Do?
When patients seek medical care, it’s reasonable for them to expect an accurate and timely diagnosis. Unfortunately, errors can occur when a doctor makes a diagnosis. If a patient is harmed as a result, it may be considered medical malpractice.
It’s important to note that misdiagnosis doesn’t automatically mean medical malpractice has occurred. Misdiagnosis details must be considered when determining whether legal action is warranted.
If your doctor misdiagnosed your medical condition, it’s important to speak with an attorney. The misdiagnosis lawyers of Salt Lake City, Utah, law firm Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC can review the details of your claim to help determine your next best course of action.
Understanding Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is a type of medical error in which a patient is diagnosed with the wrong condition. It may also include failure to diagnose a condition or a delay in a diagnosis. Misdiagnosis may also occur when a doctor diagnoses one condition but misses a second condition and fails to diagnose it.
Some conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed include:
- Heart attack
- Appendicitis
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
Conditions may be misdiagnosed if a doctor fails to order tests, consult specialists, or fails to recognize the correct diagnosis. For example, a doctor may fail to recognize a heart attack in a young female patient because the doctor failed to consider heart attack as a possible condition for such a young patient.
When Is Misdiagnosis Medical Malpractice?
Diagnosing medical conditions can be complicated but doctors are expected to provide a certain standard of care. When a doctor or other medical professional is negligent in their care and subsequently causes harm or injury to a patient, they may be liable for medical malpractice.
In order to be considered medical malpractice, a misdiagnosis must lead to delayed treatment, providing the wrong treatment, or no treatment at all, which then results in harm to the patient. Harm may be caused by receiving the wrong treatment or from not receiving treatment for their condition, causing their condition to worsen.
What Should You Do After a Misdiagnosis?
In the event of a misdiagnosis, it’s important to get proper medical care as soon as possible and to speak with a medical malpractice attorney. A medical malpractice attorney can determine whether there are grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit and help build a strong case to support their client’s claim.
Seeking Damages through a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Patients who have been injured as a result of a doctor’s negligent misdiagnosis may be able to recover compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
When seeking damages through a lawsuit, a patient must prove that another doctor under similar circumstances and reasonable skill would have made the correct diagnosis. Additionally it must be shown that:
- There was a patient-doctor relationship
- The doctor was negligent
- The negligence resulted in harm to the patient
Schedule a Consultation with Younker Hyde Macfarlane
If you suffered injury or harm due to the misdiagnosis of a medical condition, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. To discuss your claim and whether legal action is right for you, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with the Utah medical malpractice attorneys or Younker Hyde Macfarlane.
