Skilled Legal Help for Your Family after Delayed Diagnosis
Delayed diagnosis is a type of medical malpractice that kills thousands of Americans every year and occurs when a doctor fails to diagnose someone on time.
This could be due to hospital understaffing, lack of training, or even doctor negligence. Delayed diagnosis is almost entirely preventable but can result in serious illness, injury, or even death.
Why Our Clients Choose The Cochran Firm
Our veteran personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys have more than 100 years of legal experience combined. We can help you and your family recover mentally, physically, and financially when a physician fails to properly diagnose you or a loved one.
Examples of Delayed Diagnosis
- Cancer: Physicians may write off mild symptoms of cancer or fail to recognize a pattern of symptoms that indicate diagnostic testing should be done. This often results in an avoidable progression of the disease.
- Heart attack or blood clots: Symptoms of a heart attack or a blood clot can mimic anxiety or panic attacks. Many physicians will dismiss a patient’s feeling of impending doom or difficulty breathing as anxiety when in reality, they are suffering from a serious medical condition. The University of Leeds reports that this occurs more for women who are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack than their male counterparts.
- Appendicitis or gallstones: Appendicitis and gallstones are also often misdiagnosed, primarily in women. Abdominal pain may be written off as period cramps and the patient refused an ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) scan until the problem becomes much worse and can’t be chalked up to bad food or heartburn.
- Pregnancy complications: Few emergency room doctors are specifically trained in maternal-fetal medicine. They often don’t know what to do when faced with pregnancy complications or birth injuries that require swift action like early labor or placental abruption. Errors made by uneducated professionals can be costly for both mother and baby.
- Internal bleeding: After an accident, doctors might release a patient who appears to only have sustained a few bruises. Because internal bleeding is difficult to notice, medical professionals might not catch that someone is bleeding out until it’s too late.
Medical malpractice is a serious problem in the United States and kills between 44,000 and 98,000 people every year according to one Institute of Medicine publication. Our delayed diagnosis lawyer in Philadelphia can help. The Cochran Firm provides Philadelphia residents with trusted legal advocacy after a delayed diagnosis wreaks havoc on your family. Call (800) 969-4400.
Four Stages of Medical Delay
The Andersen Model explains the four stages of medical delay:
- Appraisal delay: This is the period between the time the patient first experiences symptoms and the time that they suspect they might have a medical problem.
- Illness delay: In some – but not all – cases, there is a period in which the patient infers illness but continues to wait for medical assessment. This is also sometimes called a behavioral delay and it can happen for a number of reasons including emotional and psychological issues or logistics challenges like finances and travel.
- Scheduling delay: Scheduling delays can be instigated by the patient or their physician. A patient may need to wait to schedule diagnostic testing or treatment for personal reasons, such as time off from work or after the holidays. Medical facilities may be full, forcing the patient to book their test or treatment months in advance.
- Treatment delay: A treatment delay occurs between the time a patient receives diagnostic test results and when they begin treatment. This may include scheduling or behavioral delays.
If your physician delayed your diagnosis and you incurred damages as a result, you could be eligible for compensation. Get in touch with a delayed diagnosis lawyer in Philadelphia today at (800) 969-4400.
When Can Philadelphia Families Take Action?
You may be able to file a lawsuit against your doctor if they:
- Failed to take you seriously when you reported symptoms of your injury or illness
- Dismissed your symptoms as something else
- Refused to conduct testing even when requested
- Failed to offer a differential diagnosis after rejecting a diagnosis you suggest or request testing for
- Failed to make connections between clear and obvious symptoms and/or test results
- Incorrectly interpreted diagnostic test results
- Dismissed abnormal test results or told you they were normal
- Did not contact you to report abnormal test results or request a follow-up appointment
- Neglected to order follow-up testing or more detailed diagnostics in the event of unclear or abnormal results
- Did not examine you at the time of your appointment.
If your case is successful, your physician might be responsible for paying your medical bills and reimbursing you any money that you lost from not being able to work while you were injured or sick.
They may also owe you money for the pain and suffering they caused you. They may be fined punitive damages for especially egregious behavior.
FAQs about Delayed Diagnosis and Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
What’s the Most Common Delayed Diagnosis?
Cancers are often the most common delayed diagnosis due to their slow onset and the difficulty of identifying symptoms. Heart attacks and strokes are also often missed, especially in women.
How Do I Prove That My Diagnosis Was Delayed?
To prove that your diagnosis was delayed, you will need to show that your physician failed to order diagnostic tests that they should have. You’ll need to illustrate how any other reasonable physician with the same experience and education would have taken action when your physician did not.
How Much Money Will I Win from My Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?
How much money you can win from a delayed diagnosis medical malpractice lawsuit depends on many different factors. This includes the seriousness of your condition, how long your diagnosis was delayed, and any damages you incurred as a result.
Get Comprehensive Legal Support Now for Delayed Diagnosis in Philadelphia
The Cochran Firm in Philadelphia has the skills and resources you need to successfully pursue justice for you or your loved one’s delayed diagnosis. Don’t wait to get legal help after a negligent medical professional causes harm to your family – the sooner you act, the higher your chances are of being able to successfully resolve your case.
Contact us now at (800) 969-4400 for your free initial consultation to learn more. Complete our short online form, and our legal team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.