When you go to a medical professional to seek treatment, you put your life in their hands. Most of the time, doctors do what we expect them to do. Figure out what is wrong with us and treat the problem appropriately. Yes, there are times when our medical situations cannot be fixed, but that is not the fault of the doctor.
There are also times when a doctor fails to diagnose a major medical condition. This could be because they did not perform appropriate tests or that they simply missed the signs from the tests they did complete.
Regardless of how it happened, if a doctor was negligent in their duties and it leads to a delayed diagnosis, they should be held accountable. When you need a Camden failure to diagnose attorney, turn to The Weitz Firm, LLC today.
When it comes to diagnostic errors, a study from Johns Hopkins shows us just how devastating they can be. Researchers say that these errors accounted for the largest fraction of medical malpractice claims, the most severe patient harm, and the highest total of payout penalties. In short, misdiagnosis is a major problem for the medical community.
We expect our doctors to perform at a high level of care for each and every patient, but that is not always what happens. Diagnostic errors can lead to delayed treatment for a patient. By the time the error is discovered, a patient is often in worse condition. Sometimes, they are dead before the error is discovered.
There are a number of situations in which a doctor could fail to perform the tests necessary for a proper diagnosis. Often, they are overworked and skip tests because they have so many patients. They may misread the symptoms a patient is presenting and discharge them too quickly.
Other times, they do perform the necessary tests but still do not catch a problem. Again, this could be due to them being overworked and fatigued. It can also be due to a lack of training.
The same Johns Hopkins study mentioned above claims that misdiagnosis leads to significant permanent injury or death in as many as 80,000 to 160,000 patients annually. Researchers say:
“Overall, diagnostic errors have been underappreciated and under-recognized.”
Many medical conditions are treatable when detected early. Whether it is an emergency situation or a chronic condition, a proper diagnosis is the first step towards successful treatment. That is why it can be so devastating to discover that a doctor misdiagnosed you. If a doctor failed to perform necessary tests based on your symptoms or did not spot a problem when they should have, there is a possibility that they have been negligent.
When you need a failure to diagnose attorney in Camden, you can count on The Weitz Firm, LLC to fight to ensure you are fairly compensated. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.
