Misdiagnosis

Medical Malpractice Lawyers Help Victims of a Misdiangnosis

For many people, the key to surviving and conquering a disease involves starting treatment right away. Some disease, like cancer, can be life threatening if left untreated for too long. Receiving the right treatment depends on receiving a proper diagnosis. When you have been misdiagnosed by a medical professional, you may experience serious harm or even death.

If you have suffered an injury resulting from the misdiagnosis of a disease, our West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyers at Fetterman & Associates, PA are here to help. We work in West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and other local communities. To learn more about receiving compensation for your injuries and care, send us a message online or call our team at 561-845-2510 today.

What to do if doctor gives wrong diagnosis

Florida Law Compensates For Misdiagnosis

Generally, misdiagnosis includes a failure on the part of a physician to properly identify a disease. To be actionable in a Florida court of law, the failure of the physician to properly diagnose the disease must result in an injury or in a progression of the disease beyond that which would have resulted from a proper and timely diagnosis. Under Florida law, if you have suffered injury from a misdiagnosis, you are entitled to compensation.

Types of Injury from Misdiagnosis

• Failure to timely diagnose a disease – A medical professional may fail to timely determine that a patient is suffering from a particular disease. The result of this error is that the patient will go undiagnosed and untreated for some period of time. For example, a patient may claim that a physician failed to timely diagnose a certain type of cancer, which has resulted in the cancer spreading to other organs or tissues.Essentially, a claim for misdiagnosis is an argument that the patient would not have suffered the harm (e.g., the spreading of the cancer) if the physician would have properly diagnosed and treated the disease (e.g., at the proper time).
• Misdiagnosis of a disease – A medical professional may misdiagnose a disease. In this instance, the physician may erroneously diagnose the patient with an illness the patient does not, in fact, have. In addition to injuries caused by going for a time without properly treating the true disease, as discussed above, this error may lead to harm when the patient is treated for a disease he or she does not have. For example, the physician may prescribe medication to treat the misdiagnosed disease that causes discomfort, harm, or other side effects to the patient.

Contact a Boca Raton Attorney Specializing in Medical Malpractice