Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose

When there is something physically wrong with you, the best thing you can do is seek medical care so that you can get a proper diagnosis and take the necessary steps to remedy any medical condition. You have to put your trust in the hands of a medical professional and rely on them to take the proper steps to correctly diagnose your condition so you can get the care you need.

When you have sought treatment only to have your doctor fail to take reasonable steps to diagnose or treat your condition, the attorneys at Shaffer & Gaier can help.

Failure to Diagnose Strokes

If caught in time, many stroke victims can be treated by administering a drug known as tPA to avoid serious and permanent damages. However, a hospital or doctor may not recognize the symptoms and fail to diagnose and treat a stroke in a timely manner. When that happens, the patient or their family has the basis for a lawsuit.

A stroke can be identified as it occurs with the sudden onset of the following symptoms: facial drooping, drooling, weakness, numbness, loss or slurring of speech, blurry vision, balance problems, and severe headache.

Cancer Diagnosis Delayed

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in America. Early intervention can prevent the devastating consequences of cancer. In some cases, however, there are delays in diagnosing the cancer, which leads to horrible damages.

A person should seek a second opinion if the initial diagnosis was negative and they have any of the following worsening symptoms: unusual bleeding or discharge, changes in bowel or bladder habits, chronic fatigue, persistent pain, unexpected weight loss, a lump or thickening in the breast or anywhere else in the body.

Untreated Infections

Infection, even in the best scenario, can happen. However, thousands of patients each year contract serious, often fatal, infections that could have and should have been avoided if the infection was diagnosed in a timely manner and immediately managed and treated.

One study that has reviewed this problem estimates that 95,000 patients nationally develop an invasive infection, and nearly 1 in 5 die as a result.

Misdiagnosis Error Case Representation

We offer comprehensive counsel to people who have suffered needless injury because of either misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a serious medical condition. We will take the time to conduct a full investigation of the facts of your case, questioning medical professionals and all other potential witnesses.

We will work directly with expert witnesses, including doctors or other medical authorities, to put together a clear and convincing case for your full financial recovery. We will gather, evaluate, and preserve relevant evidence and will prepare and file all necessary pleadings and other documents. We will also represent you zealously in all hearings or proceedings.

We handle cases involving any type of misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, including situations involving:

• Misdiagnosis of cancer of any type
• Misdiagnosis of appendicitis or gall bladder problems as flu or indigestion, leading to peritonitis, infection, the need for extensive medical treatment and even death
• Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis of heart attack, stroke or heart-related issues, including while as a patient at a hospital or clinic
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose diabetes
• Failure to properly evaluate or read X-rays, CAT scans or mammograms

To help us gain a thorough and comprehensive understanding of what should have been done, as well as what medical care you now need, we have a registered nurse as a full-time member of our staff.