When a doctor delays diagnosing their patient, this can be a form of medical malpractice. The impact of the disease may become greater than it would have been otherwise when a patient receives a delayed medical diagnosis. If you have received a delayed diagnosis, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of enjoyment of life. To learn more about how you can recover compensation with the assistance of our New York City delayed diagnosis attorney, continue reading.
How can a delayed diagnosis impact a patient?
The New York Times has reported that misdiagnosis kills thousands of Americans each year. Studies have been done regarding autopsies that have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. This rate has not changed since the 1930s.
A doctor failing to diagnose a disease in a timely manner can make the difference between life and death. An illness that goes untreated may progress to an untreatable, unmanageable stage, leading to death. The success of treatment options and survival chances are related directly to detecting disease at the earliest possible stage. This is because when a disease is detected early on, this allows for screening tests and recognition of early warning signs, which are critical for patient survival. Failure to diagnose leaves a patient at the mercy of the disease.
What can lead to a delayed diagnosis?
Failure to diagnose can include the following actions:
- Failure to order x-rays, CAT scans
- Failure to order MRIs
- Failure to request mammograms
- Failure to complete ultrasounds
- Failure to complete laboratory blood work
- Improperly interpret and report results
- Failure to perform basic screening tests and examinations that are standard practice within the medical community.
When any of these acts are committed, a treatable medical condition can worsen, leading to premature and unnecessary death.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a doctor’s failure to diagnose, you are likely eligible to recover compensation by filing a medical malpractice claim. Our New York City medical malpractice attorney is prepared to assist you with your upcoming claim. Give our firm a call today to learn more about how we can help. We are prepared to hold this doctor in question accountable for their actions so that they cannot impact another patient in the way that you or your family has been affected.
CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED NEW YORK CITY FIRM
At Mark L. Bodner, P.C., we are committed to guiding clients through each step of the medical malpractice and personal injury claims process. Our firm understands how traumatic it can be when you become a victim of negligence. We are prepared to fight on your behalf to help you recover a maximum compensation award.聽Contact our firm today.