Failure to diagnosis, or misdiagnosis, is the most common type of medical malpractice claim. 80% of misdiagnosis claims stem from alleged misreading of clinical tests, according to a report by Coverys, with 15% of diagnosis-related claims involving radiologists. Radiologists are doctors who use imaging such as x-ray, MRI, CT, PET and ultrasound in making a diagnosis. 80% of claims for misread images resulted in serious injury or death. Cancer misdiagnoses were the most common.
The Dangers of Diagnostic Error
Diagnostic error leads to delayed treatment, failure to treat, and patients receiving the wrong treatment. When a doctor misses a serious condition, such as cancer, the delay in treatment can mean that treatments are more invasive, more expensive and more painful. For instance, what might have been the removal of a small mass can become an amputation. And in many cases, delayed treatment can allow a disease or condition to progress to the point that it is no longer treatable.
If you have been harmed by diagnostic error, you may have incurred significant financial losses in addition to your personal suffering, including much higher medical expenses and loss of income. Your expenses may be ongoing, your loss of income may be permanent.
Diagnostic error is one of the most heart-wrenching forms of medical malpractice for victims and their loved ones. Those who initially survive diagnostic error can be left facing the knowledge that their lives will ultimately be cut short by a condition that could have been treated successfully, had they received timely treatment.
If you or someone you love has been harmed by diagnostic error or another form of medical malpractice, you may be able to recover substantial compensation for your economic and noneconomic losses. Please, do not hesitate to call Maryland medical malpractice attorney Alison Mason Heurich, Esq., at 240-346-4883 or email us today and schedule your free consultation.
Alison Mason Heurich, Esq., Senior Attorney