Failure to diagnose an illness or medical condition is one of the most common types of medical malpractice in the United States. When a physician fails to diagnose and treat a condition in a timely manner, the consequences for the patient can be devastating and deadly. Though it is difficult to say how many people die each year as a direct result of a failure to diagnose, tens of thousands of Americans die due to preventable medical mistakes annually.

Did Your Doctor Fail to Diagnose Cancer?

A failure to diagnose cancer can result in delayed treatment, the wrong treatment, or no treatment at all. Because cancer is one of those conditions that generally requires prompt and aggressive treatment, any delays can cause irreversible damage. In some cases, however, treatment is given when none is needed. Such cases may also cause irreversible damage to the patient.

Cancers that are more commonly seen in failure to diagnose cases include:

• Breast
• Colon
• Cervical
• Lung
• Prostate

If your doctor failed to diagnose your cancer or wrongly diagnosed you with cancer, you may be entitled to damages. The attorneys at Burke & Eisner are glad to evaluate your claim at no cost to you.

Other Types of Failure to Diagnose Cases

In addition to cancer, other conditions often involved in failure to diagnose cases include heart attack, stroke, diabetes, meningitis and blood clots, among others. A failure to diagnose may occur as a result of a physician:

• Not listening to the patient
• Failing to recognize symptoms
• Misinterpreting symptoms
• Failing to perform necessary tests
• Misinterpreting lab results

Physicians whose negligence results in harm to a patient may be held legally responsible.

Patient Rights for Failure to Diagnose

Patients who are victims of a negligent failure to diagnose have certain legal rights and may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and pain and suffering. To find out if you are entitled to damages for a failure to diagnose, contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Burke & Eisner today for a free claim evaluation.

Please note that failure to diagnose cases must be filed within a time limit known as statutes of limitations. Statutes vary across the United States, but typically fall between one and three years from the time of the injury (or the time it was discovered). For this reason, it’s best to contact an attorney as soon as possible to ensure your legal rights are protected.

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See Also:

    * Medical Malpractice
    * Medical Lawsuits

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