Houston Malpractice Lawyer: Misdiagnosis
Are you a victim of injury due to a misdiagnosis of an illness or condition?
Diagnosis as it applies in medicine refers to the "process of determining by examination the nature and circumstances of a diseased condition." It is also refers to the decision reached from such an examination. Any failure in the process could lead to a failure in the decision made by your doctor or a misdiagnosis.
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor fails to properly treat a medical condition and the negligent act causes a new injury or illness or worsens the patient's original illness or injury. The foremost type of medical malpractice is delayed or failed diagnose or misdiagnosis of a disease. In these circumstances, treatment may not be timely enough to restore health and a slowed or non-existent medical diagnosis may, if not corrected, result in serious, even fatal injury. Emergency errors and pharmacy errors result from misdiagnosis.
You may have a medical malpractice claim as a result of misdiagnosis if your doctor has:
- Failed to address the signs and symptoms of your medical problem,
- Failed to order appropriate medical tests,
- Delayed or failed to diagnose your condition,
- Failed to retest or broaden tests or otherwise take every step to diagnose your condition, and
- As a result, you have suffered injury or illness.
If you have suffered injury as a result of misdiagnosis, consult a Houston personal injury attorney today to determine your legal rights to compensation for your suffering and loss.
Physician Misdiagnosis and Injury Claims in Houston
When misdiagnosis is identified early and corrected, a patient may not suffer any adverse consequences from the medical mistake. You can take proactive, preventative steps to protect yourself against misdiagnosis:
- See a specialist who can confirm your doctor's diagnosis
- Get a second opinion to prevent a misdiagnosis
- Research your condition to ensure you know the care you should receive
- Ask questions so you and your doctor understand each other on every aspect of his diagnosis
- Repeat lab or pathology tests or ask for different tests so you know results are correct
Contact a Houston medical malpractice lawyer from our firm today for the competent, compassionate counsel you need to file a misdiagnosis medical malpractice claim.