Maryland Misdiagnosis & Failure to Diagnose

A misdiagnosis is a medical professional's failure to properly identify and diagnose a patient's medical condition. A doctor can be held liable for any damages that result from a misdiagnosis if the medical mistake was a result of negligence. Medical negligence (a subtype of medical malpractice) is defined as a medical professional's failure to exact the degree of care, skill, and prudence that a reasonable medical professional would in a similar situation.

When misdiagnosis is committed on behalf of a negligent medical professional, they can be held liable for any damages that a patient suffers. Negligence may be an element in medical misdiagnosis when a doctor fails to order necessary tests to help diagnose or rule out a medical condition, fails to properly address a patient's signs and symptoms, hastily offers a diagnosis without proper medical evaluation, and in similar cases of negligence which can lead to misdiagnosis.

There are several elements of misdiagnosis that may be involved in a patient's case, each of which can be considered medical malpractice depending on the situation. In some cases, misdiagnosis involves the wrong diagnosis completely. This means that the doctor diagnosed a patient with a condition that s/he did not have. This type of misdiagnosis can occur when a patient is actually suffering from another medical condition, or when the patient is not suffering from an ailment at all. This type of misdiagnosis is more common in the following medical specializations: infant, psychological/behavioral, and digestive medicine. Conditions whose symptoms are vague or rare conditions are also frequently involved in cases of misdiagnosis.

Sometimes misdiagnosis can involve a doctor's failure to identify the subtype of a patient's condition. This type of misdiagnosis is not always deleterious. For example, the correct diagnosis of a common cold's subtype is not necessary to its treatment or a patient's well being. In some cases, however, the correct diagnosis of a condition's subtype is crucial to correct treatment and overall patient well being. A misdiagnosis of the subtype of certain conditions, like diabetes and heart problems, may lead to serious patient injury.

Misdiagnosis may involve a medical professional's failure to identify the underlying cause of a patient's condition. Similarly, a misdiagnosis can involve the failure to diagnose an additional or related condition from which a patient is suffering. Correct diagnosis of an underlying condition is crucial when it is the cause of the diagnosed condition. When overlooked, the treatment of the diagnosed condition can be inappropriate or inadequate and a person's health can suffer because of this misdiagnosis.

Misdiagnosis may involve under- or over-diagnosed conditions. There are several reasons why certain conditions are frequently over or under diagnosed. Regardless of the reason behind misdiagnosis, when medical negligence is to blame for patient injuries, the victim has a legal right to seek compensation for their losses.
If you would like to learn more about misdiagnosis, you may wish to contact our Maryland Medical Malpractice attorney who can evaluate your case. Maryland Medical Malpractice Law Firm. 301-870-1200

Maryland failure to diagnose is a form of medical malpractice committed on behalf of a medical doctor. Maryland failure to diagnose has the potential to cause serious damage and even death to patients who do not receive prompt and adequate medical care as needed because of medical malpractice.

Medical malpractice is the legal term used to describe a medical professional's failure to follow the accepted standards of care for their profession, resulting in patient harm. Nationwide, medical malpractice claims the lives of 80,000 people every year. One study of autopsy reports indicated that missed diagnosis, which includes Maryland failure to diagnose cases, is one of the most common types of medical malpractice which results in death.

Maryland failure to diagnose

Maryland failure to diagnose occurs when a Maryland physician fails to identify a patient's current medical condition. Maryland failure to diagnose is most common for conditions which are asymptomatic or present only mildly noticeable symptoms. The majority of Maryland failure to diagnose lawsuits involves cases where a patient suffered one of the following conditions that a doctor failed to identify: heart attack, appendicitis, lung cancer, breast cancer, or colon cancer. Maryland failure to diagnose cases can occur when a doctor fails to diagnose any medical condition that an otherwise prudent and competent doctor would have diagnosed under similar circumstances.

A Maryland failure to diagnose case can occur when a doctor completely fails to identify a patient's condition or when s/he diagnoses a patient with a different condition from that which s/he suffers. When Maryland failure to diagnose occurs, a patient may not receive proper medical attention which can lead to further damage, including injury and even death. If a patient has suffered losses as a result of Maryland failure to diagnose, they may wish to explore their legal rights and options with the help of a competent and experienced Maryland attorney.

A Maryland failure to diagnose lawsuit can be filed by the victim of medical malpractice against the negligent medical professional. A Maryland failure to diagnose lawsuit is a personal injury civil lawsuit whereby a victim seeks compensation for their losses including related medical expenses, loss of income, and psychological suffering. If a Maryland failure to diagnose case resulted in death, the dependents and beneficiaries of the decedent may have the legal right to seek reparations for their losses in a Maryland wrongful death case.
It is important to keep in mind that the state of Maryland has a statute of limitations which restricts the amount of time that a person has to file a Maryland failure to diagnose lawsuit. If you or a loved one has been harmed because of Maryland failure to diagnose, you may wish to contact an attorney who knows the laws applicable to your case and can protect and maximize your interests. Call to speak to our Medical Malpractice Attorneys.