CHICAGO, IL – When you visit a doctor’s office or a hospital with a concern, you trust that your healthcare provider is doing everything possible to help you find what’s wrong and address any concerns you may have. Unfortunately, misdiagnoses are more common than what many people realize.
A recent study by The John Hopkins University found that one in 10 people have who have a “Big Three” disease are initially misdiagnosed. Over half of the patients who were given an incorrect or delayed diagnosis developed a severe disability or died. These misdiagnoses can result in medical malpractice and those who have been affected by them have the right to seek compensation for their healthcare provider’s negligence.
The “Big Three” diseases are vascular events such as myocardial infarction and strokes, infections such as sepsis, and cancers because they are the most likely to cause harm in a patient who are misdiagnosed. Researchers selected these illnesses because they are the diseases most commonly referenced in medical misdiagnosis lawsuits.
A misdiagnosis can have catastrophic results. A large number of medical malpractice lawsuits stem from the misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of a medical condition, illness, or injury. Delaying treatment for vascular events such as a heart attack or stroke by a matter of minutes can be the difference between life or death. Other diseases like cancer develop at a slower pace. It may take months or years to adversely affect the patient’s health. When doctor’s misdiagnosis cancer, they allow the illness to become extremely severe, and therefore, difficult to treat.
In general, doctors tend to misdiagnosis less common diseases more often than common ones. This may bebecause physicians may have a lack of available screening tests; however, it can be caused by a doctor’s lack of training. Negligent doctors may be unwilling to pursue a diagnosis of a less common disease because of how unlikely it may seem that the patient would have it.
If you have been seriously harmed or have lost a family due to a healthcare providers negligence or misdiagnosis, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. The dedicated attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. have decades of experience successfully handling medical misdiagnosis cases. Our law firm has the resources to call on expert witnesses who can help us gain an even deeper understanding of the details of your situation. Our firm has the knowledge and skills needed to take your case to trial if a full and fair medical malpractice settlement cannot be reached.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a trusted medical malpractice attorney or visit our website for more information.
