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Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis

Decades of Legal & Medical Insight

The body is an amazing and highly efficient machine that lets you know when you are sick. Few things are as frustrating as being repeatedly turned away from getting the care you need or being told you are imagining symptoms. You know your body better than any doctor but, if you’re like most people, you trust doctors to lead you in the right direction when it comes to your health.

Unfortunately, doctors make mistakes. Like anyone else, they get overwhelmed by the demands of work, family, and other stressors. In some cases, they mistake one health condition for another. Misdiagnosis is so dangerous because it has the potential to subject patients to treatments that can actually cause additional harm.

At LawMD, many of our misdiagnosis lawyers are also physicians. We work with patients from all over the country. If you or a loved one has been injured due to a doctor’s misdiagnosis, we can help.

Contact us online or by phone for a free consultation with nationwide Misdiagnosis lawyers.

What Causes Misdiagnoses?

Medicine is a demanding profession. Many doctors see a heavy rotation of patients on a daily basis. At any given time, they are juggling office visits, surgery time, and hospital rounds. If they are fortunate, they have time to spare for family, rest, and hobbies.

Our overburdened health care system often puts incredible pressure on doctors to see more patients and take on more cases. This puts patients at risk of being misdiagnosed. Although the overwhelming majority of physicians never intend to hurt a patient, these mistakes do happen—a lot more often than most people realize.

A misdiagnosis can happen in a variety of ways. Our misdiagnosis attorneys have handled cases involving:

  • Misinterpretation of test results
  • Ignored symptoms
  • Mishandled test results or lab work
  • Failure to gather family health history
  • Misinterpretation of X-rays, MRIs, and diagnostic images
  • Incorrect administration of tests and screenings
  • Failure to communicate and follow up

An overlooked health condition can be life-threatening for a patient and devastating for the patient’s family. Doctors can miss malignant tumors and serious health threats, leading to the need for more aggressive treatments, surgeries, and interventions. This can compromise a patient’s health and financial well-being, leaving them with lifelong medical problems and a diminished quality of life.

In the most catastrophic cases, a patient is sent home with a simple diagnosis of headache or a pulled muscle, when the patient is really suffering from a heart attack, stroke, infection, or another serious condition. Many health problems can be quickly resolved and reversed if discovered early. When doctors miss this window of opportunity, they put the patient’s life on the line. A misdiagnosis can also lead to death, leaving loved ones overcome by grief and shock.

Common Medical Misdiagnoses

Medical misdiagnoses can occur in any type of health crisis, but some cases happen with an alarming frequency.

These cases include:

  • Heart attack, misdiagnosed as upset stomach or muscle strain
  • MRSA infection, misdiagnosed as a common cold or the flu
  • Stroke, misdiagnosed as Bell’s palsy or vertigo
  • Appendicitis, misdiagnosed as muscle strain or indigestion
  • Ketoacidosis, misdiagnosed as the flu, especially in young children

Misdiagnosis can also occur when a doctor mistakes a less serious condition for something life-threatening, such as cancer. Because many kinds of health conditions can display symptoms that also occur in cancer, doctors must be absolutely certain of a cancer diagnosis before subjecting a patient to aggressive treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Don’t Wait to Speak to Our Law Firm

The law imposes strict time limits on medical malpractice cases. If you wait too long to speak to legal counsel, you could miss your opportunity to file a claim. Protect yourself by contacting our attorneys as soon as you suspect you have been misdiagnosed.

Taking on a doctor, hospital, or another health care provider can be an overwhelming and intimidating prospect. When you’re already hurt and vulnerable, you need a strong ally on your side. At LawMD, we fight for victims of medical malpractice. If you were misdiagnosed, you don’t have to suffer in silence.

Close-up of the psychiatrist's hand holding the patient's hand. To encourage and comfort the patient.

Why you may benefit from a doctor in your courtroom

  • WE UNDERSTAND YOUR INJURIES, BECAUSE WE’VE LIKELY TREATED THEM.

Most of our physician-attorneys are either current or past treating doctors in, collectively, a wide range of medical specialties. There is a good chance one or more of our physician attorneys have actually treated medical conditions similar to the ones from which you or your loved one now suffers. That translates into care and understanding as your Counselors, and know-how as your Advocates.

  • TIME- AND COST-SAVINGS FOR YOUR CASE

Any honest medical malpractice attorney will tell you that one of the greatest expenses in a medical malpractice case is having to pay physician experts to study the details of the medical issues in your case and, if necessary, provide testimony at deposition and trial. While even our physician attorneys may also need to hire outside medical experts for your case, our medical know-how allows us to perform a significant amount of the medical analysis necessary for your case in-house which may translate into significant savings at the conclusion of your case.

  • RAPID RESPONSE WITH SOLID ANSWERS TO YOUR SERIOUS QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR CASE

Because we have in-house medical know-how, we can evaluate the medical questions in your case and provide answers without a lengthy wait. Our internal process involves getting the issues in your case quickly in front of the right physician attorney who, based on his or her medical experience and training, is most likely to have the answers you seek about whether you have a case and how we might help you get the compensation you deserve to help secure a brighter future for you and for your loved ones.

Get a free consultation today

Why you may benefit from a doctor in your courtroom. We understand your injuries, because we’ve likely treated them.

Most of our physician-attorneys are either current or past treating doctors in, collectively, a wide range of medical specialties. There is a good chance one or more of our physician attorneys have actually treated medical conditions similar to the ones from which you or your loved one now suffers. That translates into care and understanding as your Counselors, and know-how as your Advocates.

Time and cost-savings for your case.

Any honest medical malpractice attorney will tell you that one of the greatest expenses in a medical malpractice case is having to pay physician experts to study the details of the medical issues in your case and, if necessary, provide testimony at deposition and trial. While even our physician attorneys may also need to hire outside medical experts for your case, our medical know-how allows us to perform a significant amount of the medical analysis necessary for your case in-house which may translate into significant savings at the conclusion of your case.

Rapid Response with solid answers to your serious questions regarding your case.

Because we have in-house medical know-how, we can evaluate the medical questions in your case and provide answers without a lengthy wait. Our internal process involves getting the issues in your case quickly in front of the right physician attorney who, based on his or her medical experience and training, is most likely to have the answers you seek about whether you have a case and how we might help you get the compensation you deserve to help secure a brighter future for you and for your loved ones.

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