Philadelphia Medical Misdiagnosis Attorney
Our Philadelphia medical misdiagnosis lawyers realize that not every misdiagnosis is an example of medical malpractice. If a reasonably competent doctor would have made the same diagnosis after seeing the same patient and analyzing symptoms, there is no evidence of negligence. The doctor was simply following protocol and diagnosing a condition as other physicians would. Medical misdiagnosis is one of the most common types of malpractice. Despite years of education, hands-on experience, and ample training, physicians can still make errors in judgment when it comes to diagnosing a patient’s condition or disease. These errors often stem from negligence – a doctor’s incompetence, distraction, or carelessness during a patient visit. If someone else’s negligence led to a harmful misdiagnosis, speak to the med mal lawyers at Anapol Weiss in Philadelphia.
A successful medical malpractice lawsuit can compensate you for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, lost quality of life, and other economic and non-economic damages. We know a medical misdiagnosis lawsuit won’t erase the wrongs a doctor committed against you. However, we hope the settlements and judgments we secure for those who come to us for help will ease the situation in some way. To discuss your case in more detail, (866) 735-2792 or contact us online.
The Dangers of Medical Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis can be detrimental to a patient’s health, prognosis, and survival rate. Depending on the illness or disease, a patient’s future can hinge on the doctor’s ability to quickly and accurately diagnose the issue. Most cancers, for example, rely on early diagnosis for recovery. Mistaking the symptoms of cancer for something less serious can result in delays in treatment, and potential drops in the likelihood of survival.
If a doctor misdiagnoses a patient, it can also lead to improper medical care. A patient may receive a prescription for headaches, for example, when the underlying problem is a brain tumor. This prescription will prove ineffective to treat the real cause of the patient’s symptoms. While the patient wastes time on treatments for the wrong problem, the tumor can grow and the patient may lose his/her chance of beating cancer.
At the same time, a misdiagnosis of cancer when a tumor does not exist can result in a patient undergoing significant medical procedures such as surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Misdiagnosis can cause considerable emotional distress and psychological damage, depending on the circumstances. A false diagnosis of cancer, for instance, can cause unnecessary anguish to an individual and his/her family.
Misdiagnosis and Medical Malpractice
Misdiagnosis often stems from some form of malpractice. A doctor may not listen to a patient’s complaints, downplay the severity of symptoms, fail to order the appropriate tests, or interpret the test results incorrectly. Any of these errors can lead to a harmful or even fatal misdiagnosis. It is a doctor’s responsibility to take due care while diagnosing a condition and to act within the accepted standards of the field.
Misdiagnosis can cause a variety of physical, emotional, psychological, and financial damages. From unnecessary procedures to missed opportunities for treatment, there are many ways a mistaken diagnosis can harm a patient. The wrong type of medication – or no treatment at all – can even lead to wrongful death. No matter what type of harm you suffered due to a medical misdiagnosis, learn your rights in the Pennsylvania courts.
Seek Help from Our Philadelphia Misdiagnosis Lawyers
With free consultations with the attorneys at Anapol Weiss, you can find out if your case has merit at no charge or obligation to our firm. You may benefit immensely from speaking with our team about you or a loved one’s medical misdiagnosis. You may discover malpractice played a part in the error, and that someone might be liable for your damages.