An analysis published in StatPearls states that anywhere between 40,000 to 80,000 patients a year die as a result of diagnostic errors. About one in every six patients is affected by problems arising from a misdiagnosis. While it is true that doctors simply cannot know every possible medical circumstance, it is their responsibility to make sure the diagnoses they give out to their patients are given with confidence.
Those who suffer from the error of a doctor through misdiagnosis can seek compensation for their damages. It is your right to seek justice for any wrong done against you or your loved ones. Getting a misdiagnosis lawyer will help you get the compensation and peace that you deserve. You are not alone. If you are in Columbus and looking for help in your misdiagnosis case, call the Fitch Law Firm LLC. Our Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer team dedicates itself to our clients and gives them the best legal counsel possible to win their cases. We have years of experience under our belt and operate under the guiding principles of compassion, understanding, and honesty. For a free consultation, call us today.
Medical malpractice through misdiagnosis is harmful and potentially life-threatening. Do not wait to get legal assistance if you believe you are a victim of misdiagnosis. If you are in Columbus and looking for help in your misdiagnosis case, call the Fitch Law Firm LLC. Our team dedicates itself to our clients and gives them the best legal counsel possible to win their cases. We have years of experience under our belt and operate under the guiding principles of compassion, understanding, and honesty. For a free consultation, call us today.
Basics of Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis of a patient occurs in three ways:
- You are diagnosed with the wrong illness.
- There is something wrong, but a doctor fails to diagnose the problem.
- Your diagnosis is delayed and was not disclosed within a reasonable time.
One of the most common ways misdiagnosis occurs is by getting the diagnosis wrong. If a doctor informed you that you had cancer when you have another condition is an example of getting a diagnosis wrong. It applies as well if Parkinson’s is diagnosed instead as chronic stress or Alzheimer’s disease.
The After Effects of a Misdiagnosis Often Cause Health Issues
Failure to diagnose refers to when a doctor fails to detect a disease or ailment that is present. A delayed diagnosis is when a medical issue is eventually discovered, but a significant time has passed before its discovery.
Doctors are humans and can make mistakes. A misdiagnosis may seem understandable, given all the different illnesses and conditions that exist. However, the issue with misdiagnosis is the adverse effects afterward because of it.
Patients trust doctors with their lives when they put their health in the hands of medical professionals. It is the duty of the doctor to make sure that misdiagnosis does not happen and that they took every precaution to understand your situation. Not doing this is often the cause of this form of malpractice.
Why Misdiagnosis Is Harmful to Columbus Patients
It is no understatement to say that misdiagnosis leads to death. As the NCBI statistic shows, misdiagnosis kills people in the United States yearly, numbering in the thousands. Why, exactly, do these deaths occur?
When your doctor fails to diagnose you correctly, you are letting medical issues wreak havoc on your body without proper attention or treatment. You cannot get treated for an illness if a doctor does not diagnose you properly. Imagine letting cancer go untreated for years because a doctor did not take the time to double-check and make sure that you were cancer-free.
The Wrong Misdiagnosis Can Worsen Patients’ Health
If you are misdiagnosed for one illness instead of another, you could end up getting treatment for a disease you did not even have. Taking medicine and undergoing treatments for conditions you do not have can damage your body.
Even worse, if you get a delayed diagnosis, other medical treatments may exacerbate the problem that went undiagnosed. The longer an undiagnosed problem remains, the worse it becomes, and the treatments that may have worked before will no longer work now.
The Last Thing You Should Worry About Is How You’re Going To Pay For Your Medical Bills.
(614) 545-3930 Commonly Misdiagnosed Health Conditions in Columbus
In no particular order, these are considered to be the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions:
- Cancer
- Heart attack
- Depression
- Fibromyalgia
- Stroke
- Celiac disease
- Lupus
- Parkinson’s disease
Some of these conditions may not be as immediately life-threatening as cancer, but any misdiagnosis has the potential to be dangerous and harmful. A misdiagnosis of anything on the list can lead to lasting damage to your body and your mental health.
Getting More Than One Opinion Can Help Avoid the Wrong Diagnosis
You should always try to avoid a situation where you are misdiagnosed. While a doctor should be the one making sure the diagnosis is correct, there are some preventative steps you can take to make sure the errors of a misdiagnosis do not potentially harm you.
The best way to prevent a misdiagnosis is by going to a specialist when needed and getting multiple doctors’ opinions. Always be aware of your family and medical history to make sure that a diagnosis gets made right the first time.
Columbus Misdiagnosis FAQ
When you discover you are a victim of misdiagnosis, you may have many unanswered questions about what to expect from your medical malpractice insurance and civil claims.
As you prepare for what’s to come, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding misdiagnosis below. If you have questions we did not answer here, you can contact our legal team to talk about our case and how our Columbus misdiagnosis lawyer can help you with a claim or lawsuit.
Who Can I Sue for Misdiagnosis?
Any healthcare provider who can diagnose a medical condition or anyone who gave you a medical diagnosis can be held accountable. Generally, physicians, surgeons, physician’s assistants, and other relevant healthcare providers will be the ones to provide you with your medical diagnosis.
However, if another healthcare provider, such as a nurse, X-ray technician, or another party, misdiagnosed you, they can also be held accountable under Ohio medical malpractice laws.
What Is Informed Consent?
Before you receive any type of medical treatment or care, your healthcare provider must give you information about the side effects and potential risks associated with this treatment. Once you have been properly informed of the risks of the treatment and question, you must give your consent before treatment can proceed.
Your permission is called informed consent. Many people assume their injury or illness results from a side effect or risk of a treatment they received. However, many healthcare providers hide behind informed consent to mask their medical errors or another failure to provide you with the information you were entitled to receive.
How Can I Recover Damages in a Columbus Misdiagnosis Case?
You can recover compensation in a medical malpractice claim in multiple ways, and our attorney handling misdiagnosis cases in Columbus can help. First, find out if an insurance company is representing the liable party. Generally, malpractice insurance protects healthcare providers. When you file a claim with your malpractice insurance provider, you may be able to recover certain types and amounts of damages.
Usually, an insurance company will cover only your economic damages. At that, the insurance company will compensate you only for certain economic damages, such as your medical treatment costs or lost earnings. Insurance companies do not regularly pay out compensation for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. To recover these damages and other economic losses an insurer doesn’t cover, you may have to take your case to court.
It should also be noted that an insurance company is required only to pay out up to the highest limits of its policyholder’s claim. If the liable party has the minimum amount of coverage, but your damages exceed their policy’s limits, the insurer will not have to cover the excess. The remaining losses can be recovered in your medical malpractice lawsuit against the negligent healthcare provider in your case.
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Get Help From a Columbus Misdiagnosis Lawyer Today
If you believe a doctor dismissed your symptoms, inaccurately read or performed certain tests, lost your test results, or failed to refer you to a specialist as needed, then you can contact a misdiagnosis lawyer from our firm. Getting misdiagnosed can result in terrible consequences, and you deserve justice.
The Fitch Law Firm LLC Columbus personal injury lawyers can help you through the process and prove that a misdiagnosis occurred in your case. Our firm has over 30 years of experience helping clients reach their settlements and get the peace they deserve. Our free consultation will provide you with all the options you can take to allow us to fight for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to our staff today.