Failure to Diagnose Lawsuit

7 Common Conditions Doctors Fail to Diagnose

Medical conditions are often manageable if a doctor appropriately diagnoses the condition and treats the symptoms. However, sometimes a physician can fail to make a diagnosis or delay a diagnosis, which may be considered a form of medical malpractice called failure to diagnose.

An estimated 795,000 Americans die or are permanently disabled every year as a result of diagnostic errors, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Below are some of the more common medical conditions that are often misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed.

1. Cancer

Early diagnosis is essential to a higher rate of recovery in most forms of cancer. Failing to diagnose cancer in patients usually means more invasive and painful treatments and lower chances of recovery. Delaying a cancer diagnosis can also cause severe injury, unnecessary pain and suffering, and death.

Breast cancer in particular is a problem area in failure to diagnose medical malpractice. Breast cancer can be successfully treated if diagnosed in its early stages. However, a failure to diagnose, a delay in diagnosis, or a misdiagnosis allows the cancer to progress to late stages. Breast cancers in advanced stages can lead to painful treatment, the loss of one or both breasts, and death.

The top reasons why medical professionals fail to diagnose breast cancer include:

• Doctors rely too heavily on negative mammogram results, even if the patient felt a lump
• Doctors place too much emphasis on age as a predicting factor for breast cancer
• Doctors may not take women seriously when they complain of symptoms

Many types of cancer are detectable in early stages by routine screening tests.

If you or a loved one have cancer that was undiagnosed or the diagnosis was delayed, note if your physician failed to:

• Discuss and order routine cancer screening tests
• Correctly interpret the diagnostic test results
• Order the appropriate diagnostic test, such as a biopsy

If a physician ignored your claims or failed to diagnose your cancer, it may be considered medical malpractice. Get a free legal review to see if you may have a case.

2. Aneurysm

An aneurysm is the formation of a bulge in the weakest portion of a blood vessel. An aneurysm can form in any blood vessel, but they are the most dangerous in arteries in the chest and the brain.

A doctor’s failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, or delay in diagnosing an aneurysm can cause the vessel to burst, which can lead to internal bleeding, blood clots, or stroke.

An aneurysm in the aorta — the largest artery in the body — is called an “aortic aneurysm.” During an aortic aneurysm, a tear forms in the inner lining of the aorta, causing blood to flow to the middle lining of the aorta. A tear that allows blood to penetrate the outer wall of the aorta typically leads to death.

Aortic aneurysms can be extremely dangerous if there is a delayed diagnosis, a misdiagnosis, or if they go undiagnosed.

Symptoms of an aortic aneurysm include:

• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Pain or tearing sensation in the upper back
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe chest pain

A brain aneurysm may also be treatable if diagnosed correctly and in a timely manner. The failure to diagnose or the misdiagnosis of a brain aneurysm can lead to paralysis, brain damage, coma, or death.

Symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm include:

• Severe headache
• Cranial nerve palsy
• Pain above and or behind the eyes
• Dilated pupils
• Double vision

Symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Stiff neck
• Headache
• Loss of sensation
• Light sensitivity

3. Heart Attack

A heart attack is the result of a blockage in one or more arteries. The blockage can be either partial or complete, slowing or stopping blood flow to the heart and depriving the body of oxygen.

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pressure, discomfort, or tightness in the chest, abdomen, neck, back, jaw, or arms
• Pain and discomfort that originates in one area and spreads to a different area
• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn, or abdominal pain
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
• Fatigue

During a heart attack, blood flow must be restored quickly to avoid damage. Not all patients experience chest pain when having a heart attack, which can sometimes lead to a misdiagnosis. Heart attacks, especially those where the pain is located in the abdomen, can be misdiagnosed as heartburn or indigestion.

A failure to diagnose, a misdiagnosis, or a delayed diagnosis of a heart attack can lead to death.

If you or a loved one experienced a heart attack, ask yourself the following questions about your medical professionals:

• Did they perform an EKG to evaluate heart rhythm?
• Did they conduct blood tests to measure the cardiac enzyme levels in the blood?
• Did they give clot-dissolving drugs?

When a medical professional fails to do any of the above, it may be considered medical malpractice.

Sokolove Law has over 45 years of experience handling medical malpractice cases. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.

4. Stroke

Strokes kill 137,000 Americans each year, making them a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when the supply of blood to the brain is interrupted due to a blocked or burst blood vessel. Deprived of oxygen and nutrients, brain cells begin to die rapidly.

There are different types of strokes, but the most common are ischemic, hemorrhagic, and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Ischemic strokes occur when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes result from a ruptured blood vessel in the brain and cause blood to spill into the brain. TIA, also known as a “mini stroke,” can resolve by itself, but it can also be a precursor to more serious strokes.

Symptoms of a stroke include:

• Confusion
• Slurring words, difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Blindness, haziness, or double-vision in one or both eyes
• Dizziness or loss of coordination
• Loss of balance or difficulty walking
• Paralysis of the face, arm, or leg
• Sudden headache

Both a timely diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial to limiting the damage caused by a stroke, ultimately increasing the likelihood of recovery.

However, a failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, or delay in diagnosing can lead to avoidable life-long injuries like paralysis, loss of motor functions, seizures, or even death.

Note the following about your medical provider:

• Did they perform a thorough neurologic exam?
• Did they perform a CT scan of the brain?
• Did they perform an ultrasound of the arteries?

When a patient experiences a stroke, it’s important that their medical team uses imaging tests to better visualize the brain and arteries. If a doctor or medical professional fails to take imaging tests, it could be a sign of medical malpractice.

5. Blood Clot

A blood clot, also known as “thrombosis,” is a clump that forms and lodges in the blood vessels. One of the more serious types of blood clots is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), when a clot forms in the deep veins, typically in the legs.

Symptoms of DVT include:

• Swelling of the affected leg
• Pain, cramping, or soreness in the affected leg
• Red or discolored skin on the leg
• Warmness in the affected leg

In some cases, blood clots can occur with no symptoms or present symptoms similar to other
conditions such as a stroke, heart attack, or pneumonia, especially when a blood clot leads to pulmonary embolism or blockage of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs.

A failure to diagnose or a misdiagnosis of a blood clot can make the condition worse. Any delay in diagnosing blood clots can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or death.

6. Pulmonary Embolism

A pulmonary embolism is a result of a clump, usually a blood clot, traveling from another vessel in the body and lodging in the pulmonary arteries in the lungs. Other materials like fat or air bubbles can also cause a pulmonary embolism.

During a pulmonary embolism, blood flow to the lungs is disrupted and lung tissues begin to die, preventing the lungs from oxygenating the body.

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:

• Fainting
• Sharp stabbing chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Leg pain or swelling of the calf
• Fever
• Discolored skin
• Dry cough that generates bloody sputum
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Irregular and rapid heartbeat
• Excessive sweating

Approximately 33% of undiagnosed or untreated patients die from pulmonary embolism. A physician’s failure to diagnose, misdiagnose, or delay the diagnosis of a pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening.

If you believe doctors or hospitals misdiagnosed, failed to, or delayed your or a loved one’s diagnosis, please contact us.

7. Infection

Hospitals are required to follow protocols in order to avoid the spread of infections. However, the smallest error by a medical professional can lead to hospital-acquired infections (HAI). Patients recovering from surgery or awaiting treatment have compromised immune systems and are especially prone to infections.

In fact, 1 out of 10 people admitted to a hospital will get HAIs, which are linked to high patient morbidity and death.

HAIs originate inside the hospital and are caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Failing to properly perform hand hygiene to remove contaminants from unsterile surfaces or contact with other patients is the leading cause of HAIs and the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs).

Some common types of HAIs include:

• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Surgical site infections
• Pneumonia
• Clostridium difficile or C. diff infections
• Sepsis or bloodstream infections
• Urinary tract infections from the use of catheters

Not all infections inside a hospital are spread by unsterile conditions. Some infections may be the result of irresponsible medical treatment.

Medication errors such as the misuse or overuse of medicine can lead to drug-resistant superbugs or ESKAPE, which consist of pathogens that can cause a variety of infections. The longer the infection goes untreated, the greater the risk to the patient.

Left undiagnosed, an infection can lead to sepsis, which can damage the organs or cause them to fail. If ignored or untreated, the body can go into septic shock, and a patient can die from a dramatic drop in blood pressure.

What to Do If You Have Been Misdiagnosed

Unfortunately, failure to diagnose medical malpractice occurs far too often in the United States. As a result, conditions can be made worse, symptoms can go untreated, and avoidable deaths can happen.

If you think a doctor failed to diagnose, misdiagnosed, or delayed a diagnosis of your condition, it’s important to determine if you have a viable case.

Take the first step to advocate for yourself or your loved one’s legal rights by beginning the legal process with Sokolove Law today. Start your free consultation now.

Can You Sue a Doctor for Misdiagnosis?

You may be able to sue a doctor for misdiagnosis if their error led to a negative health outcome, like delayed treatment that allowed an illness to advance.

To prove misdiagnosis, your lawyer will usually need to: 

• Secure medical records confirming your actual diagnosis
• Work with experts to show another doctor would’ve correctly diagnosed you sooner
• Gather evidence to prove the doctor's negligence and how it caused you harm

Once this important evidence is gathered, your team can file a misdiagnosis lawsuit against the doctors or hospital involved and pursue compensation on your behalf.

When a patient from Rhode Island received an incorrect diagnosis, we were able to secure $3.5 Million on their behalf.

At Sokolove Law, our team has the experience and resources necessary to fight for the money you deserve. Call (800) 995-1212 now to see if we can help your family.

How Do You Prove Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis?

In order to prove the wrong diagnosis or misdiagnosis, the legal team must prove:

• There was a doctor-patient relationship
• There was negligence, and the doctor failed to provide appropriate and/or adequate treatment
• The patient was injured because of the doctor’s negligence

A failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis alone may not prove malpractice. To prove malpractice, the patient’s lawyer has to show that another doctor in a similar medical field and under similar conditions would have correctly diagnosed the illness.

They must also prove that a doctor’s failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis caused injury or worsened the patient’s condition to the point that it negatively impacted their health and well-being.

Sokolove Law has decades of experience handling medical malpractice failure to diagnose lawsuits and has helped thousands of clients prove their stories and receive financial compensation.

Start your free legal review now to determine if you may have a medical malpractice case.

How Does a Failure to Diagnose Malpractice Lawsuit Work?

A patient whose illness or condition was undiagnosed or misdiagnosed can file a failure to diagnose medical malpractice lawsuit with the assistance of a medical malpractice law firm.

After the suit is filed, lawsuits undergo the following steps:

• Discovery: In this phase, both the injured party (plaintiff) and the defendant(s) request and gather information and evidence related to the case.

• Expert Witnesses: In this phase, impartial expert medical witnesses may be called to testify. These experts can testify for both sides and help both parties determine the standard of medical care and whether that standard of care was breached.

• Failure to Diagnose Settlement: Not all cases end in a failure to diagnose lawsuit settlement or verdict, but many do. If the evidence — including expert testimony — proves a breach of medical care, then defendants usually try to settle the lawsuit out-of-court, where the defendant and plaintiff attorneys negotiate a sum to be paid to the victim.

Although most failure to diagnose lawsuits are settled before going to court, some cases do proceed to trial. When this occurs, a judge and jury will listen to the case and decide liability based on the information presented to them.

Failure to Diagnose Lawsuit Settlements

Failure to diagnose malpractice lawsuits demand a great deal of time, money, and resources. For this reason, about 93% of all medical malpractice cases are settled outside of the court.

With a failure to diagnose lawsuit settlement, the victim and their legal team receive money from the medical professional, physician, and/or hospital.

Settlement amounts vary in every case because of their unique circumstances, like:

• Extent of the injury
• Cost of ongoing or future medical treatment
• Severity of negligence
• Victim’s ability to work
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• State medical malpractice damage caps

According to Medscape, the average failure to diagnose lawsuit settlement is $425,000. The amount is a national average, and settlement amounts vary based on individual circumstances, such as the state where the malpractice took place.

Many states limit the amount a victim of failure to diagnose malpractice lawsuit can receive from damages, which can include calculable losses, such as medical expenses or lost wages, and/or non-economic damages for losses you cannot measure, such as pain and suffering.

Our Past Misdiagnosis Settlement Amounts

To date, Sokolove Law has recovered over $9.6 Billion for our clients across all case types, including the following failure to diagnose settlements and verdicts:

• $3.9 Million for a patient in Massachusetts whose herniated disc diagnosis was delayed
• $3.5 Million for a Rhode Island patient who received the wrong diagnosis
• $3.25 Million for a patient in New Hampshire who suffered a delayed lung cancer diagnosis
• $3.1 Million for a Rhode Island woman who received a misdiagnosis
• $2.9 Million for a patient whose misdiagnosis caused his cancer to worsen
• $2.43 Million for a failure to diagnose case in Massachusetts
• $2.25 Million for a case involving an incorrect diagnosis
• $1.75 Million for a woman in New Hampshire whose doctors failed to diagnose her ovarian cancer
• $1.5 Million for a Massachusetts patient who received a delayed ovarian cancer diagnosis
• $1.25 Million for a client whose lung cancer was misdiagnosed until it was inoperable

While there's never a guarantee of results, our misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose attorneys will fight hard to get you everything you're entitled to. Call (800) 995-1212 now to get started for free.

Let Our Failure to Diagnose Lawyers Help You

Unfortunately, failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, and delayed diagnosis happen all too often in the American health care system. Sokolove Law has been helping victims of failure to diagnose malpractice for more than 45 years.

While our law firm has deep roots in the New England area — starting in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979 and later expanding into New Hampshire and Rhode Island — today, we’re a national law firm proudly serving clients in all 50 states.

Our knowledgeable and experienced team of medical malpractice attorneys may be able to help you determine if you were a victim of failure to diagnose malpractice — and whether you may be eligible for significant compensation.

Call (800) 995-1212 now to learn more about your malpractice legal options for free.

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