Inadequate diagnoses occur when a doctor makes the wrong diagnosis of a patient's medical condition or makes the correct diagnosis after an unacceptable delay.
Inadequate diagnoses occur when a doctor makes the wrong diagnosis of a patient’s medical condition or makes the correct diagnosis after an unacceptable delay. Either way, the patient does not receive a timely and accurate diagnosis, which may make his or her illness more difficult to treat. A doctor who makes an inadequate diagnosis may be liable for medical malpractice.
Wrongful Diagnosis vs. Delayed Diagnosis
The two main types of inadequate diagnoses are misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis. Both are significant medical errors that can harm patients.
Misdiagnosis or Incorrect Diagnosis
In a misdiagnosis or incorrect diagnosis, the doctor diagnoses the patient with the incorrect condition or fails to make a timely diagnosis. For instance, a patient visits his or her doctor with chest pain. After the doctor performs a few tests, he or she assures the patient it is a minor issue—acid reflux or indigestion.
The patient, relieved, returns home and ignores any further pain. A few days later, the patient is climbing a flight of stairs when his or her chest tightens up. The patient collapses, then awakens in the hospital to learn he or she had a heart attack.
In this situation, the doctor made a wrongful diagnosis, which led to the patient suffering a heart attack that he or she may have been able to avoid with a correct diagnosis and early intervention.
Delayed Diagnosis
In a delayed diagnosis, the doctor makes the correct diagnosis, but only after an unacceptable delay. The challenge in holding a doctor liable for medical malpractice for a delayed diagnosis is proving the doctor had enough information to have made the correct diagnosis earlier.
Inadequate Diagnoses and Medical Malpractice
To hold a doctor liable for medical malpractice based on an inadequate diagnosis, the plaintiff must demonstrate three things:
- By making an inadequate diagnosis, the doctor failed to follow the standard of care.
- The doctor’s failure caused the patient to suffer injuries.
- The patient incurred damages because of his or her injuries.
Free Case Evaluation With a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis may be considered malpractice. A medical malpractice attorney from Newsome | Melton can help. For a free case evaluation, call us today at 888-526-8947.
Inadequate Diagnoses - Frequently Asked Questions
A case is medical malpractice, if it can establish four things: the defendant’s duty of care, the defendant’s standard of care violation, causation, and damages. Duty of Care The first element of a successful medical malpractice case is proving that the defendant owed you a duty of care. In other words, you must show that
Read More
If an individual becomes injured due to some type of medical treatment, a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed. The aforementioned medical treatment can be administered by a nurse, doctor, hospital, clinic or a medical facility. Therefore, altered medical records give an injured party a valid reason for filing a malpractice claim. Altered Medical Records
Read MoreInadequate Diagnoses - News Articles
The Special Focus Facilities List is a national registry of nursing homes that are considered to be problem facilities that require monitoring for poor and negligent treatment. The list was created by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and as of 2010, there were at least 126 nursing homes nationwide that qualified for this negative
Read More
House of Representatives Votes to Drastically Limit Medical Malpractice Cases At the end of June, the House of Representatives passed a bill to limit the amount of non-economic damages that can be paid out in medical malpractice cases to just $250,000. Non-economic damages compensate for the human aspects of an injury or death—including the loss
Read More