Lake Charles Missed Diagnosis Lawyer

Lake Charles Missed Diagnosis Attorney

A missed diagnosis for injuries and illnesses can cause increased pain, further aggravating the condition. It can even shorten a patient’s lifespan. When a healthcare provider fails to diagnose their patient’s condition because of negligence or carelessness, they must be held accountable. If you or a loved one has suffered because of a provider’s failure to diagnose, you need a Lake Charles missed diagnosis lawyer. They can investigate the cause of the failure and gather the evidence needed for a claim.

Effective Legal Support After a Failure to Diagnose in Lake Charles

It can be devastating and frustrating when the professionals you entrust with your health and well-being are negligent in their care. When medical professionals fail to provide the medical care that their patients need because they did not take the appropriate measures, they should be held accountable. The team at Lee M. Schwalben, M.D., J.D., LLC, can take action and protect your personal interests.

A failure to diagnose can worsen your illness or injury, resulting in more severe pain and damage than you should have suffered. The costs of this increased care can be severe. Our law firm wants to help you recover these losses and do the right thing to prevent other patients from suffering the same negligence in the Lake Charles area.

When Do Medical Providers Fail to Diagnose?

Errors can happen in numerous ways, resulting in a failure to diagnose many serious injuries and illnesses. Some of the most commonly missed diagnoses include:

• Fractures, which can be entirely overlooked on X-rays
• Infections and sepsis, which can be misdiagnosed as minor illnesses and cause organ failure if left untreated
• Traumatic brain injuries, which can result in worsened symptoms over time and additional brain damage
• Heart attacks and other heart disease, which can be life-threatening if not caught and treated
• Strokes, which can be misdiagnosed and result in harm and death
• Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, which can lead to strokes and death
• Cancer, especially lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer, as a failure to diagnose means that early-stage treatment and removal may be impossible, limiting the outlook and health of a patient

Many other injuries, such as internal bleeding, pneumonia, or appendicitis, can result in permanent harm or death if their symptoms are misinterpreted or not considered seriously. If a patient is injured or dies after a medical provider does not uphold the standard of care, this is likely the basis for a medical malpractice claim.

What Are the Causes of Missed Diagnoses?

The failure to diagnose can happen even when a healthcare professional follows the professional standard of care they must uphold. Not all missed diagnoses are the result of negligence. However, when a provider does not follow proper procedure and is negligent in providing care, they may be liable. Ways that a provider could be liable include:

• Not reviewing a patient’s medical history
• Failing to accurately complete medical records
• Ignoring or overlooking clear symptoms of a condition
• Failing to completely examine a patient
• Not identifying all clear symptoms
• Failing to eliminate other diagnoses
• Improper communication between medical providers
• Failing to order the relevant tests
• Incorrectly interpreting test results
• Failing to notify a patient of test results in a timely manner
• Not referring a patient to a specialist who has the necessary and relevant knowledge

The source of negligence may not always be the medical provider. Poor equipment, lack of staffing by the hospital, and other systemic issues can also cause a failure to diagnose. In some cases, the medical facility or other party may be liable for their negligence.

A missed diagnosis can significantly harm the health and future of a patient. These losses deserve compensation. The right attorney can identify the cause of the failure and hold that party accountable.

FAQs

Q: Is a Missed Diagnosis Malpractice?

A: A missed diagnosis may be considered malpractice in specific cases. Medical providers have a duty to provide their patients with medical care that meets the professional standard. In some cases, a failure to diagnose is a mistake that any provider could have made. However, if the provider failed to listen to the symptoms as a patient described them, order the proper tests, or take other appropriate actions, they may have acted negligently.

If a provider does not adhere to professional standards, a medical malpractice claim may be appropriate.

Q: Can You Sue for Medical Malpractice in Louisiana?

A: Yes, you can sue for medical malpractice in Louisiana. If a medical provider owed you a duty of care, did not uphold this, and you suffered as a result, this is likely grounds for a claim. These civil claims are incredibly complex, and securing experienced legal support is essential to improving the chances of a successful claim. An attorney can review your situation to determine if you have a viable claim. Then, they can begin gathering evidence to file a claim.

Q: What Happens If You Get a Wrong Diagnosis?

A: If you get a wrong or late diagnosis, you can receive improper or no treatment, and your actual illness or injury can worsen. A wrong diagnosis can result in lost time and money on ineffective treatments, additional stress and pain, and medical complications. Depending on the type of injury or illness, it can also limit your chances of a long-term recovery. An inaccurate or late diagnosis may be the result of medical negligence by your healthcare provider.

Q: Can You Get Compensation for a Delayed Diagnosis?

A: You might recover compensation for a delayed diagnosis if you can prove the elements of a medical malpractice claim. These include:

• Your medical provider owed you a duty of professional care.
• Your provider was negligent or reckless in upholding this standard of care.
• Their breach of the standard of care resulted in the delayed diagnosis.
• The delayed diagnosis resulted in the worsening of your condition and additional damages that you would not have suffered if the condition had been diagnosed earlier.

Legal Representation for Missed Diagnosis Malpractice Claims

There is a limited period of time in which to file medical malpractice claims. If a failure to diagnose your condition may have made your condition worse and caused you harm, this is unacceptable. Lee M. Schwalben, M.D., J.D., LLC, can help you make sure negligence parties are liable for their failures, enabling you to recover some of your losses. Contact our firm today.