Misdiagnoses/Delayed Diagnoses Lawyer
Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa, Arizona
Successful treatment of diseases and conditions is dependent upon accurate and timely diagnosis. When a physician misdiagnoses or delays diagnosing a condition or disease, such as a heart attack or cancer, they may be negligent in their professional responsibilities and putting patients at an increased risk of death, which may have been preventable.
Common Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis Scenarios
Failure to diagnose is a serious breach in trust between a patient and his physician that can have catastrophic consequences. Common scenarios of misdiagnosis that may increase the likelihood of a condition progressing to a life-threatening status include:
- Failure to recognize heart attack symptoms
- Improperly reading MRI results, x-rays or mammograms
- Misdiagnosis of a stroke
- Failure to diagnose spinal cord injury
- Delaying the ordering of diagnostic tests
- Surgical errors, such as delaying emergency surgery
- Not recognizing the potential of birth injury during a vaginal delivery
- Failing to recognize appendicitis symptoms
Consequences of Misdiagnosing or Delaying Diagnosis
An unreasonable delay in diagnosing life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, can result in the wrongful death of a patient, as delay causes the patient to miss vital time that may have prevented the cancer's spread.
In addition to fatal consequences, a physician's negligence in diagnosing a disease or condition can result in increased health risks and personal injuries, including:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Amputation
- Blindness
- Quadriplegia
- Infection
- Blood clot
Where Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis Can Occur
A physician's negligence in misdiagnosing or delaying diagnosis of a condition or disease can take place in any health care setting. This includes:
- During a consultation in a doctor's office
- Within the confines of an emergency room
- During rehabilitation
- During pre-consultation with a surgeon, during surgery, or post-surgery
When misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis occurs, a physician's negligence increases the risk of personal injury to you or a loved one. Diseases or conditions that may have been treatable could become terminal, and otherwise avoidable health consequences can result in an enormous financial burden.
If you or a loved one has had a condition misdiagnosed or a physician delayed diagnosing a disease in the Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson, Arizona area, please contact our medical malpractice office today or call (602) 604-8400 to schedule a consultation with Jerrold A. Mayro.
Suite 700
Phoenix, AZ 85016
