South Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Patients rely on their doctors for an accurate and timely diagnosis of their medical condition. Without a proper diagnosis, a patient is deprived of the chance to pursue opportune treatment and may suffer a variety of adverse consequences as a result. In fact, for many patients, early intervention can be the difference between life and death. If you’ve experienced harm because of a delayed diagnosis, our Miami medical negligence attorneys can help. We understand how to represent victims of medical malpractice and protect your rights.
Medical negligence is a huge problem in Florida and throughout the country. A study by the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences estimates that about 98,000 patients are killed every year in hospitals as a result of medical errors. A number of these errors are diagnostic errors. The World Health Organization estimates that most people will likely experience a diagnostic error in their lifetime. In the United States, diagnostic errors affect 12 million Americans every year and likely cause more damage to patients than all other medical errors combined.
All medical professionals have a responsibility to treat patients with proper care. Part of this includes evaluating a patient’s symptoms and prescribing the appropriate tests to correctly diagnose the medical condition. Early detection is often critical for the treatment of diseases, especially when it comes to conditions such as cancer. If your doctor’s mistakes resulted in the delayed diagnosis of your disease and impacted your opportunity to receive timely and proper treatment, you may be able to sue the at-fault physician for medical negligence.
To win a medical malpractice claim for a delayed diagnosis, you must show that your health care provider deviated from the accepted standard of care and that his or her error was a direct cause of your injury. Plaintiffs typically establish this by proving the following:
- The doctor owed the patient a duty of care;
- The doctor violated the duty of care by failing to identify the signs of your disease or take further action the way a reasonable doctor in the same specialty would have under the same or similar circumstances;
- The doctor’s violation of the duty of care led to the delayed diagnosis; and
- The delayed diagnosis led to quantifiable patient harm.
It is important to note that each of the elements mentioned above must be established before a plaintiff can recover any monetary damages for his or her harm. Generally, a medical malpractice plaintiff can recover compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, lost wages and any other losses arising from the malpractice.
A delay in diagnosis can interfere with your ability to receive prompt medical care and ultimately make your condition worse. If you suffered harm or lost a loved one due to a delayed diagnosis, our seasoned Miami medical malpractice attorneys can help. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we understand the serious interference that a medical injury can have on a patient’s life. Our goal is to help you recover the maximum amount of compensation in your case. To learn more about your options, please call us today at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or contact us online.