Misdiagnosis is one of the most common examples of a negligent medical error. From diagnosing the wrong condition to failing to recognize complications from medication or procedures, misdiagnosis errors are surprisingly common.
Many patients in Cheyenne suffer because a doctor or other medical professional makes a mistake when diagnosing a disease or other medical condition. A misdiagnosis can steal precious time from the treatment of the actual problem. Sometimes treatments triggered by misdiagnosis cause harm to the patient while treating a disease that isn’t there.
If you’ve been injured due to a medical misdiagnosis, contact Olson Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your legal options. Attorney Sean Olson is a skilled and experienced medical malpractice lawyer ready to fight aggressively to pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Since opening his legal practice, Olson has received numerous professional honors, including membership in the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for attorneys who’ve won multi-million-dollar judgments for their clients. Olson and the rest of the Olson Personal Injury Lawyers team know how painful and costly a misdiagnosis injury can be, and they are committed to seeking justice for you.
Because they know that there is no time to waste, the Olson Personal Injury Lawyers team is ready to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss your injury. Understanding that everyone has different comfort levels with the current health situation, Olson Personal Injury Lawyers has established virtual meetings in order that clients may still meet with the team from the comfort of their homes. To set up your initial confidential consultation, please call us at our Cheyenne office or complete our online contact form, and we will respond quickly.
What Is Medical Misdiagnosis?
Medical misdiagnosis errors are a type of medical malpractice. In particular, misdiagnosis errors occur when a doctor or other medical provider makes a mistake in determining the nature of a patient’s illness.
For example, a doctor might look at a patient’s symptoms and diagnose them with a muscle strain when they are actually having a heart attack. Because the actual condition is not identified, the patient does not get adequate treatment, and their symptoms worsen. That would be a misdiagnosis error.
In contrast, if the doctor correctly diagnosed the patient but prescribed the wrong medication, that would not be a misdiagnosis error, though the doctor might still be liable for malpractice.
Types of Medical Misdiagnosis
There are a few different ways in which a medical provider might make a misdiagnosis error. They include:
- Diagnosing the incorrect condition – The most basic form of medical misdiagnosis error, occurs when a doctor diagnoses a patient with one illness or injury, but the patient is actually suffering from a different medical condition or none at all.
- Missed diagnosis – Missed diagnosis errors occur when a doctor or other health care provider examines a patient and deems them healthy when the patient is injured or sick in some way.
- Delayed diagnosis – A delayed diagnosis error occurs when a doctor takes too long to diagnose a patient’s condition, even though they should have recognized it more quickly. While it may not sound like a significant issue, delayed treatment can significantly impact a patient’s recovery.
- Failing to recognize complications – Even when doctors make a correct, timely diagnosis, if they’re not thorough, they may fail to identify some of the complications or underlying factors that aggravate it.
- Failing to recognize a related illness – This type of misdiagnosis error occurs when a doctor correctly diagnoses one disease a patient has without recognizing another condition related to the first illness. Many diseases cause the onset of another condition or cause the patient to be at greater risk of developing a related illness.
- Failing to recognize an unrelated illness – Sometimes, a doctor will encounter a patient with symptoms from more than one condition. If the doctor isn’t careful, they may diagnose the patient with one illness while missing another unrelated disease. This is a type of misdiagnosis error.
Causes of Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis
Some of the most common causes of misdiagnosis errors and delayed diagnoses are:
- Inadequately evaluating a patient – Doctors need to assess a patient thoroughly to make a correct diagnosis. If symptoms are ignored, the proper tests aren’t ordered, or a patient’s history isn’t taken into account, it’s easy for doctors to make a mistake.
- Failing to list a condition as a potential diagnosis – Doctors will often create a possible list of illnesses a patient may have based on their symptoms and other factors. If the correct diagnosis isn’t on the list, the doctor may make an incorrect diagnosis.
- Testing issues – Blood tests, X-rays, and other tests are critical tools to help doctors make a diagnosis, but they have to be done correctly. A botched sample, defective machine, or mistake by a lab tech could produce faulty results and lead to a misdiagnosis.
- Incorrectly interpreting test results – Sometimes, a test is done correctly, but its results are misinterpreted. The precision of the machine doesn’t matter if the person reading the results makes a mistake.
Who Can Be Liable for Misdiagnosis?
The doctor who treated you may not be the only party liable for a medical misdiagnosis error. Other potentially responsible parties include:
- The hospital or medical facility that employed the doctor
- The nurse or lab technician who performed the requested lab tests or diagnostic imaging (X-rays, CT scans, etc.)
- The maker of the machine used to conduct the tests or diagnostic images
Our knowledgeable Cheyenne misdiagnosis lawyer can tell you more about who may be liable for your injuries.
Can I Get Compensation for My Medical Misdiagnosis?
Wyoming law allows victims of medical malpractice to recover substantial compensation for their injuries, provided they can prove their case. With help from an experienced personal injury attorney, you could potentially receive compensation for:
- Your medical bills
- Your lost wages due to any missed work caused by your injuries
- Your reduced capacity to earn a living
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Your emotional pain and suffering
Contact Our Misdiagnosis Lawyer in Cheyenne Today for Help
Sean Olson and the rest of the team at Olson Personal Injury Lawyers are here for you if you believe you have been injured as a result of a misdiagnosis. We will listen. We will discuss your options. We will give you advice. We will help you receive the compensation you and your family deserve. Isn’t it time for you to get your life back on track? We think it is. Set-up time to meet us for an initial confidential case review. Call our Cheyenne office or complete our online contact page. We will respond to you shortly.