News Category: Failure to Diagnose
Three major disease categories account for approximately three-fourths of all disability and deaths due to a failure to diagnose. Those diseases include vascular events, infections, and cancer, according to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. Less common ailments also contribute to diagnostic failures, but more common diseases like stroke, sepsis, and lung cancer effects a greater number of patients.
There can be several different causes for a failure in diagnosis. Miscommunication between a primary healthcare provider and staff can exacerbate an error in diagnosis. Additionally, lab tests may be misinterpreted, or a physician may not identify an ailment with the appropriate amount of urgency. All of these factors can lead to devastating results for a patient.
Stephanie Hollingsworth is used to sudden bursts of intense pain. She suffers from vasculitis, an autoimmune disease, and one of the symptoms is blood vessel inflammation causing severe muscle and joint pain. But one day in 2008, the suffering became unbearable. On November 21, ulcerations had formed on her feet and the aching in her
Read MoreShane Ackerschott could no longer ignore the intense pain coming from his back. He knew he’d injured himself while moving freight at his job. But he didn’t want to admit that it was bad enough for an emergency room visit. He also didn’t know the extent of the damage. In November 2014, however, the pain
Read MoreAccording to the American Cancer Society, one out of every nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Due to advances in treatment, only one in 41 will die. The key is an early diagnosis. Michael E. Gunter, a Vietnam War veteran, was lucky to survive his bout with prostate cancer,
Read MoreMercy Hospital and Two Missouri Doctors Found Negligent for Misdiagnosis; Jury Awards Plaintiff $12,820,990 Vincent Lowe woke up on April 30, 2014 in agonizing pain. He tried to endure the discomfort in his abdomen, but when the throbbing became unbearable Lowe was rushed to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital, located in Washington, Missouri. The
Read MoreMinnesota Jury Finds Nurse Negligent for Wrongful Death; Awards Family $20,000,000 Nicole Bermingham gave birth to her first child in August 2013. She was discharged after the successful delivery and was happy to bring her baby boy home. But something was not quite right. She complained of pain in her pelvic region and her back.
Read MoreOn February 6, 2012, Kristine Coleman felt a sharp pain shoot down her left arm. The sensation lingered and Coleman, then 41, was rushed to the Geisinger Community Medical Center. Coleman told the attending physicians that she was experiencing pain from her left shoulder all the way to her left hand. The medical center staff
Read MoreAfter Marlande Lazard moved from Haiti to Miami 26 years ago, she began traveling back to the Caribbean island on medical missions, determined to teach women there how to check themselves for breast cancer. So, four years ago when she felt a lump on her chest, she knew that she needed to go to the
Read MoreOn a Friday in April 2016, Michael R. Gillen woke up with a fever, a cough, congestion, and an aching body. That night as his symptoms worsened he was brought to the Holzer Clinic, his local medical provider in Ohio. Doctors at the clinic found that he had a temperature of 102.2 and tested him
Read MoreIn the beginning of 2008, Robert Jackson Miller III, an ivy-league graduate and successful architect based out of New York City, went to a dermatology appointment for a routine checkup. He had recently co-founded Miller & Wright Architects and his work had already been featured in Architectural Digest, the New York Times, and the Wall
Read MoreDuring Steven Harold Cooper’s prostate exam at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in December 2011, the nurse who administered the assessment found irregularities. But according to a malpractice lawsuit the nurse failed to order more testing or recommend a specialist. This alleged failure delayed Cooper’s diagnosis by almost a year and, by that time,
Read MoreIf you become more injured and your healthcare provider is at fault, you need someone who is going to be on your side to help you through this difficult event. Insurance companies often do not have your best interests in mind when trying to negotiate a settlement. That’s why having an experienced medical-malpractice attorney on your team can be a valuable asset. Review our materials and contact us today.