Medical malpractice — incorrect or delayed diagnosis

Medical personnel in Louisiana are expected to meet a certain standard of care. When they fail to do so, the patients are the ones who suffer most. Medical malpractice can occur under any number of circumstances, but a delayed or incorrect diagnosis can set of a dangerous chain of events leading to serious injury or death of the patient.

From the moment that an individual goes through the doors of a hospital or emergency room, the individual is often literally putting his or her life in the hands of the doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Patients trust that doctors have their best interests in mind and will be thorough and correct in their diagnoses and treatment. In some cases, that trust is misplaced and mistakes are made.

If a Louisiana physician makes an incorrectly diagnosis of a patient or delays making the correct diagnosis, other medical personnel could unwittingly become part of that error. Treating a patient for the wrong illness can have devastating consequences for him or her. Not only can the treatment cause further injury or death, but not being treated for the correct ailment can as well. The longer this goes on, the more likely permanent damage or death may result.

If you discover that you were incorrectly diagnosed or that a delay in diagnosis caused you irreparable damage, you may exercise your right to file a medical malpractice claim. If a member of your family died due to such an error, you may also be able to file a claim. However, medical malpractice claims rarely involve only an attending physician.

Other parties may be have some responsibility — and hence, liability — for the situation. Therefore, consulting an attorney before proceeding in any way could ensure that the appropriate individuals and/or entities are part of any legal claim. More information on misdiagnosis and other medical malpractice claims is available on our website.