Is Delayed Diagnosis Grounds for a Medical Malpractice Case?
It is fairly common for a person to go to the doctor if they begin feeling unwell or develop some strange new physical symptom. The list of illnesses and diseases is way too long to memorize, and each illness has its own set of numerous symptoms, so it would not be reasonable to expect an average person to understand what is happening to you. However, doctors go through years of medical school and training so that they can eventually do their job and be able to diagnose issues based on the presented symptoms.
While needing to research illnesses and symptoms for the sake of certainty is understandable, it is reasonable to expect that your doctor is familiar with the most common causes of the most common symptoms. If your doctor is at a loss for what your symptoms might mean, she should take her uncertainty as a sign that she needs to start researching those symptoms and determining which diagnosis she can weigh out and which she should consider. If she is still unsure, she should order blood work and other tests that could help narrow the options down.
In some cases, for example, when cancer is involved, an earlier diagnosis and treatment can have a significant impact on the prognosis. Delayed and missed diagnoses are their own topic in the field of medical malpractice because they can be extremely harmful. If your symptoms were initially dismissed and a later diagnosis showed that you truly were dealing with a serious medical issue, speak with an experienced Aurora, IL personal injury attorney to understand your options.
How Harmful Can a Delayed Diagnosis Be?
Routine physical exams, annual blood work, and making sure to go to the doctor whenever something does not feel right are all ways to protect your health by ensuring that any issue that does arise is detected quickly and easily compared with your previous physical state. Often, early detection and diagnosis is the difference between surviving and not surviving
If a loved one sought medical attention for symptoms that went undiagnosed and later became terminally ill as a result of delayed diagnosis, you could argue that had the illness been diagnosed sooner, the illness would not be so severe. As important as early detection can be for your prognosis, delayed diagnosis can be just as detrimental.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one were not given a proper and timely diagnosis and are now suffering as a result, you should speak with a Kane County, IL medical malpractice attorney. At Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C., we fight hard for our clients to get the compensation they deserve. Call us at 630-907-0909 to schedule a free consultation.
