Failure to Diagnose Lawyer in Jacksonville, FL
Did a Doctor Fail to Treat or Diagnose Your Medical Condition?
One of the more common types of medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or hospital fails to properly treat, or ignores, a medical condition. When a patient presents his symptoms, the doctor will typically make a differential diagnosis. This is a systematic method to identify the disease or injury causing a patient's symptoms.
Before a medical condition can be treated, it must be identified. Sometimes the doctor does not take a complete history or is too quick in reaching a diagnosis, and the true condition is not diagnosed. Therefore, the proper treatment plan is not started. If the error is quickly recognized, then there may be little or no harm.
However, in some cases a delay of days or in some situations, even hours, can have significant consequences. Failure to quickly treat a stroke, heart attack or recognize the signs of internal bleeding can have devastating results. Failure to diagnose postoperative infection can lead to multiple additional surgeries. Failure to diagnose a fracture (not ordering x-ray or misreading film) could lead to improper healing of the bones.
Medicine is not an exact science and different conditions can present similar symptoms. That is why it is important for a doctor to consider the more serious condition or disease, before coming to any conclusions. If the treatment prescribed is not working then the diagnosis must be reevaluated.
Typically, the doctor will defend a claim by asserting that the diagnosis was reasonable given symptoms presented and/or that the outcome (prognosis) would be the same even though there was delay in treatment. By a thorough review of the medical records you can sometimes prove malpractice by showing nurses notes, which the doctor did consider, that are inconsistent with the diagnosis; or by a lack of documentation regarding the differential diagnosis.
The failure to diagnose or delay in diagnosing an illness can result in premature death, even though early diagnosis would have provided ample time for treatment. When you discover that you are terminally ill with a disease that could have been diagnosed and treated or you have lost a loved one after a failure to diagnose or delay in diagnosis, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your loss.Â
The failure to diagnose or delay in diagnosis is equivalent to denying treatment of a disease. Whether tests were not properly administered, the results were incorrectly interpreted, you were not given adequate treatment options, or your diagnosis came too late, you still have rights and might have a case.
When you and your family need answers, our attorneys will work aggressively to get them for you. We will collect all necessary evidence, consult with witnesses, review hospital and medical records, and confer with medical experts who can testify to the potential negligence in your case or claim.
At Coker Law, we have experience in the investigation of complex medical malpractice claims and maximizing settlements and verdicts for clients. To speak with a Coker Law attorney or for more information, call (904) 299-0808 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.