Failing to diagnose medical problems is one of the most common medical mistakes made by doctors. In fact, experts estimate that as much as 40 percent of all medical malpractice cases result from failure to properly diagnose a patient’s condition. In most cases, the later a condition is identified and treated, the less likely there will be favorable outcomes.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a doctor’s failure to properly diagnose a condition and you are seeking experienced and committed representation, contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates for help. Our highly qualified, well-respected legal team has decades of experience successfully going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies to expose medical wrongdoing and to obtain the compensation our clients need to move forward with their lives.
How Failure to Diagnose Occurs
Medical professionals can fail to diagnose patients due to:
- Failure to perform necessary diagnostic tests (This can occur when doctors don’t call for specific tests or when insurance companies don’t allow doctors to perform these tests)
- Inability to read or inattention to the results of such tests
- The presence of generic symptoms (i.e. fever, fatigue, nausea) that may indicate various conditions
- Lack of experience
- Negligence
Conditions Commonly Misdiagnosed
Conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed are those that are marked by general or minimal symptoms. In many cases, these conditions include (but aren’t limited to):
- appendicitis
- cancers
- diabetes
- heart diseases
- hypertension
- liver damage
- meningitis
- neuropathy
When a diagnosis is not made, proper treatment is delayed and, in turn, such health complications are allowed to grow more severe. The consequences can be fatal if treatment is delayed for too long.
Starting a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Those who have been injured because a medical professional has misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose their condition will have a legal claim and will be entitled to compensation for their damages which may include:
- funeral and burial costs, should their loved one die from a failed diagnosis
- outstanding medical bills
- ongoing treatment costs
- permanent disabilities
- lost wages
- pain and suffering
Prospective plaintiffs can get their case started by meeting with an experienced personal injury lawyer at Gacovino, Lake & Associates. During this initial consultation, our skilled attorneys will inform you of your legal rights and provide you with expert advice on how to proceed with your claim—based on your individual needs and the circumstances of your specific case. We guarantee premier representation in all necessary legal proceedings and will commit 100 percent to your case. Our ultimate goal is to get each of our clients through the legal process efficiently and to help victims of medical malpractice get the highest amount of compensation possible.
