Misdiagnosed at the Doctor’s Office?

Friday, July 12, 2013

Misdiagnosed at the Doctor’s Office?

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

When visiting the doctor, we tend to expect that we will be given answers that lead to a healthy recovery. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Misdiagnosed illnesses and injuries happen from time to time, but just because a doctor makes a mistake doesn’t mean you’re left without options. Medical malpractice cases can be complicated, but a Chicago malpractice attorney can help you decipher the details of your issue and give advice on how to proceed.

Misdiagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis, or Failure to Diagnose

A medical care provider’s job is to run the appropriate tests and recognize specific symptoms in order to diagnose a problem in patients. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible to list all of the possible reasons a doctor might misdiagnose a problem, but there are a few common reasons. Failure to administer the proper tests to check for an ailment, or failing to act on test results in a timely manner can all contribute to more serious health problems. Another common cause of misdiagnosis is the misinterpreting of test results and misinterpreting symptoms that a patient may be showing. Malpractice lawyers in Chicago have experience with all of the above possibilities, as well as other situations regarding medical malpractice. If you suspect you’ve been misdiagnosed, it’s important to discuss the case with a legal professional to get help.

What Can You Do?

You may think that you are entirely at fault for the misdiagnosis if you didn’t think to get a second opinion. That’s not the case. When a doctor misses a diagnosis, it may cause more severe health problems, especially if the ailment needs immediate attention (for example, cancer). Getting a second or third opinion can’t hurt, but if you didn’t, you still may be eligible for compensation. Misdiagnoses can cause the patient to require hospital stays, surgeries, emotional pain, and suffering, all of which may qualify for reimbursement. Malpractice lawyers in Chicago will be able to help you organize the details of your situation in order to build a case, so if you think you’ve been misdiagnosed, it’s important to discuss the matter with someone who can represent you.