Although a high volume of
medical malpractice cases stem from diagnostic errors, simply proving that a misdiagnosis
occurred is not enough in a medical malpractice case. In order to successfully
secure a favorable outcome in your case, you must be able to prove the
basic elements in a medical malpractice case – a doctor-patient
relationship existed, the doctor was negligent, and the doctor’s
negligence caused the injury or harm. In this blog, our Portland medical
malpractice lawyer explains some of the different types of medical diagnostic errors.
Delayed Diagnosis
In a delayed diagnosis, the doctor eventually diagnoses the correct condition,
but only after a significant delay. This can often be the case when a
patient is suffering from a rare condition that takes time to properly diagnose.
Wrong Diagnosis
This is perhaps the most obvious diagnostic error. A wrong diagnosis, also
referred to as a misdiagnosis, occurs when the doctors diagnose the wrong
illness for a patient. An example of misdiagnosis is if a doctor diagnosis
and treats his or her patient with an intestinal or gastric issue, when
in fact the patient was suffering from a heart attack.
Failure to Diagnose a Related Disease
There are times in which a patient will be diagnosed with a disease and
suffer symptoms that are caused by a related condition that has been left
undiagnosed. A related disease is one that typically goes hand-in-hand
with the primary issue or condition.
Medical malpractice cases are extremely regulated with a number of rules
that vary between each state. Our skilled and experienced Portland medical
malpractice lawyer has successfully recovered millions of dollars in a
wide range of malpractice cases, including birth injuries, hospital negligence,
and ER malpractice.
To
schedule a free case evaluation, call Patrick L. Block, P.C. at (503) 491-4900.