Palm Beach County Delayed Diagnosis Lawyer

With the medicine currently available to doctors, fatal diseases are now treatable, and in some cases curable. With many diseases, illnesses, and medical emergencies such as cancer, heart attack, and stroke, the key to health and recovery often requires a doctor to quickly identify and diagnose the symptoms. However, when a doctor fails to diagnose or makes a delayed diagnosis it can mean that a treatable condition progresses until it can no longer be treated or a patient must undergo much more intensive treatment.

If you have suffered an injury or developed a disease because a doctor delayed in making a diagnosis, you may be the victim of medical malpractice and may be entitled to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries. Contact a Palm Beach County delayed diagnosis lawyer today to learn your rights, and how a lawyer can help you in this difficult time. A qualified attorney is here to help.

How Can a Person Prove a Claim

A delay in diagnosing a condition may mean that a small and treatable cancerous tumor spreads, or that a doctor misses a critical treatment window for conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. While many patients who receive a delayed diagnosis are fortunate that their treatment will be the same as if they had been diagnosed earlier, for other patients, that delay could result in further injury.

Duty of Care

In a medical malpractice claim based on a delayed diagnosis, a patient will be required to prove that their doctor owed them a duty of care, that their doctor breached this duty of care by failing to make a timely diagnosis, that their doctor’s actions were the cause of their injury, and that they suffered some harm or injury such as undergoing additional medical procedures. However, proving medical malpractice can be incredibly complex and often requires expert testimony from other healthcare professionals, as well as a thorough understanding of medical malpractice laws.

A delayed diagnosis attorney with experience in the medical malpractice field is prepared to help those injured by a delayed diagnosis, will work with medical experts, and will work closely with patients and their families to discuss their options for compensation.

Common Reasons for a Delayed Diagnosis

With all of the modern testing equipment including MRI’s, CT scans, and more sophisticated blood tests that can often detect the beginnings of a disease, doctors today are afforded considerable insight into our bodies. This combined with the effectiveness of modern medications means that many diseases or illnesses can be detected before they begin and in many cases can be treated if they are detected at an early stage. Unfortunately, for patients, there are several ways that this process can break down resulting in a doctor or other healthcare provider making a delayed diagnosis.

Some of the most common reasons for healthcare making a delayed diagnosis include:

• Delaying in ordering diagnostic tests
• Misreading test results
• Failure to refer a patient to an appropriate specialist
• Losing paperwork
• Medical chart errors

When a person suspects that there is something wrong with their body and seek the professional guidance and expertise of a doctor, they expect that their healthcare provider will take the time to not only thoroughly examine them but also to follow through on any abnormalities. However, for those whose doctors and healthcare providers made an error and delay in diagnosing a condition, a Palm Beach County medical malpractice attorney is prepared to help guide patients through the complex medical malpractice claims process.

Contact a Palm Beach County Delayed Diagnosis Attorney Today

Medical malpractice is a serious matter, one that requires devoted and individualized attention. A Palm Beach County delayed diagnosis lawyer understands the personal and financial impact medical malpractice can have.

In addition, a medical malpractice lawyer also understands the complexities of filing medical malpractice claims and is prepared to work closely with injured patients and their families to explore their options and fight for the compensation they deserve.