A doctor’s diagnosis may be accurate, but if it is delayed the elapsed time may lead to circumstances that are more difficult to address. For example, if a patient shows symptoms of cancer, the passage of time in making and responding to the correct diagnosis is crucial to the health of the patient and chance for cancer to be contained and eradicated.
Unfortunately, delayed diagnoses are relatively common. Medical tests and other diagnostic measures should be administered in a timely manner, but doctors and medical professionals may delay in doing so. Patients may also be complacent in challenging their doctor to act more quickly or focus on a part of the issue that they may be overlooking.
If there is a delay in diagnosing the patient, that delay could allow the cancer to grow and spread through the body leading to more health complications, more medical attention, and more expense for the patient and patient’s family.
A delayed diagnosis could be due to:
- Medical errors (i.e. procedural errors or mistakes in reading results)
- Poor management decisions
- Simple neglect
Situations that arise from these oversights may be considered medical malpractice, and as such, the patient can seek compensation if he or she can show that the delayed diagnosis was the specific cause of harm.
Protect You and Your Loved Ones With The Help of an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney!
If you believe you or your loved ones may have been harmed as a result of delayed diagnosis, schedule a consultation with our experienced medical malpractice attorney today. Call 888-691-9319 or fill out this short form to get started.
