When patients go to the hospital, they are putting their lives in the hands of the doctors and hospital staff. They expect to receive proper diagnosis, treatment, and instructions, and they expect to be kept informed about what is happening. Unfortunately, doctors do not always diagnose ailments correctly, and hospital mismanagement can often lead to delayed or improper care or diagnosis. These problems can have serious repercussions for patients, including serious injury, permanent harm and even death.

When symptoms of an illness appear, a doctor or hospital has a duty to use reasonable care to accurate diagnose and treat the patient's problem or problems. The first step – proper diagnosis – is often critical, and an error at this stage can lead to serious complications, injuries or even death. Even if the correct diagnosis is eventually made, a serious delay in diagnosis can result in complications, limited treatment options, and other serious and unfortunate consequences, and sometimes even death.  A wrong diagnosis of cancer, heart disease, infections and other medical illness can turn a treatable condition into a medical disaster.

The Dangers of Misdiagnosis

We have found that the proper diagnosis of a patient's condition is most often missed because the doctor didn't consider all of the alternatives, and instead rushed to diagnoses with unreasonable haste and without obtaining all relevant information or conducting all reasonable diagnostic tests. Sometimes key information is in the patient file, but is simply overlooked by a careless or distracted doctor. By reviewing X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, medical charts, medication administration records, laboratory records, staff records and eyewitness testimony, we identify symptoms that were ignored, tests that should have been requested, tests that were misread or misreported and procedures that were not followed properly. In reviewing log entries and charts, our lawyers may find contradictory reports that establish a strong "failure to diagnose" malpractice claim.

Common incorrect or missed diagnoses include:

• Breast Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Heart attack
• Appendicitis
• Infection
• Stroke
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Diabetes
• Tuberculosis
• Bacterial Meningitis

Wrong diagnosis claims and delayed diagnosis claims can be daunting. Even for experienced lawyers, medical malpractice lawsuits are highly technical and expensive to take on. However, at the Law Offices of Kenneth W. Drake & Associates, Inc., we have the experience, skill and resources to take on any medical malpractice case, no matter how large or complex. Call or email today for free initial consultation.