You place your trust in your doctor’s ability to diagnose your condition and recommend your best treatment options accurately. A correct diagnosis can be the difference between a full recovery and life-altering consequences. Unfortunately, diagnostic errors happen more often than most people realize, and when they do, patients and their families suffer.
If you or your loved one has suffered harm because a healthcare provider failed to diagnose, delayed diagnosing, or misdiagnosed a medical condition, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your damages. Misdiagnosis cases are generally complex. You need an experienced Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice or misdiagnosis lawyer with a proven record of success to help you build your strongest case and secure maximum compensation.
At Rosen Injury Law, our Fort Lauderdale misdiagnosis lawyers have helped recover over $125 million for our clients, and we want to help you obtain the full compensation you are entitled to. Call (954) 787-1500 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.
Understanding Medical Misdiagnosis
Medical misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider makes a mistake in diagnosing a patient’s condition. These errors can occur in various ways and can have devastating consequences.
Medical misdiagnosis errors include a failure to diagnose, incorrect diagnosis, and delayed diagnosis. A failure to diagnose occurs when a healthcare provider fails to identify a medical condition, such as when they do not order necessary tests and send the patient home without identifying the problem.
An incorrect diagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider diagnoses the wrong condition. If the wrong condition is diagnosed, the patient may receive treatment, but it is not the treatment they require. This can result in the patient’s condition.
A delayed diagnosis means the healthcare provider eventually arrives at the correct diagnosis, but only after crucial time has been lost. This delay can mean the difference between early-stage cancer that is highly treatable and advanced-stage cancer with limited treatment options and a much poorer outcome.
Leading Misdiagnosed Conditions in Fort Lauderdale
Almost any medical condition can be mid-diagnosed. However, the consequences of misdiagnosis can be much more severe for some conditions.
A missed cancer diagnosis is one of the most devastating errors for a healthcare provider to make. Cancers have a much higher survival rate when diagnosed and treated early. Misdiagnosing cancer can be the difference between life and death.
Patients lose precious time when a provider fails to order appropriate screenings or misinterprets test results. Cancers that may be successfully treated in early stages can spread and be difficult or impossible to successfully treat when they advance.
Heart attack symptoms are another condition frequently misdiagnosed. Cardiac patients who do not receive immediate treatment often do not survive. Stroke victims also require immediate intervention to prevent or minimize brain damage. When they are misdiagnosed, the consequences can be devastating.
Pulmonary embolisms occur when a blood clot forms in a pulmonary artery. This condition can be fatal if not correctly diagnosed quickly. Misdiagnosis of some conditions can result in immediate death or life-altering harm. However, misdiagnosing almost any medical condition can cause severe damage. If there was a death as a result of a misdiagnosis from a medical care provider, don’t hesitate to contact a wrongful death attorney in Fort Lauderdale.
Proving Negligence in Fort Lauderdale Misdiagnosis Cases
Misdiagnosis cases are typically based on negligence. To succeed in a negligence case, you must prove that four elements exist:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care.
- The defendant breached the duty of care they owed you.
- The defendant’s breach of duty caused your injury.
- You suffered actual damages caused by the defendant’s breach of duty.
These elements can be challenging to prove and are usually heavily contested. You need an experienced Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer to help establish each element with substantial evidence so you can recover maximum compensation for your damages.
Liability in Fort Lauderdale Misdiagnosis Cases
Depending on the circumstances of your case, multiple parties may share liability for a medical misdiagnosis.
The diagnosing physician has primary responsibility if they failed to properly evaluate your symptoms, order appropriate tests, or correctly interpret diagnostic results. Consulting specialists who were brought in to assess your condition may also be liable if they made errors in diagnosis.
Radiologists who misread X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or other imaging studies can be held responsible when their errors lead to misdiagnosis. Laboratory technicians who make errors in processing tests or reporting results may also share liability.
Hospitals and medical facilities can be held liable under certain circumstances. If hospital policies or staffing decisions contributed to the misdiagnosis, the hospital may be directly liable. Hospitals can also be vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees, including emergency room physicians, nurses, and other staff.
Nurses and other medical staff who fail to communicate patient symptoms to physicians adequately or who make errors in documenting patient information may also bear responsibility.
Our experienced Fort Lauderdale misdiagnosis lawyers thoroughly investigate your case to identify all potentially liable parties. This comprehensive approach helps maximize the compensation available for your damages.
Compensation in Florida Misdiagnosis Cases
In a successful misdiagnosis claim, you may be able to recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for your financial losses. They include current and future medical costs, lost wages, and other monetary losses resulting from the misdiagnosis.
Non-economic damages include your pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and other intangible losses sustained because of your misdiagnosis.
At Rosen Injury Law, our Fort Lauderdale misdiagnosis lawyers often consult with medical and economic experts to accurately calculate the full value of your current and future damages. We fight to recover all available compensation so you can move forward with your life.
How Rosen Injury Law Can Help
If you or a loved one suffered harm due to a medical misdiagnosis, you may be entitled to recover significant compensation. However, medical misdiagnosis cases are complex and challenging to prove. You need an experienced Fort Lauderdale misdiagnosis lawyer to help you build your strongest case.
At Rosen Injury Law, our Fort Lauderdale misdiagnosis lawyers have decades of experience helping our clients secure maximum compensation for their damages, and we want to do the same for you. Call (954) 787-1500 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.