When we make appointments with our medical professionals, we don’t think twice about entrusting them with our health and safety. Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have been rigorously trained and are expected to provide their patients with the care they need.

Unfortunately, medical professionals sometimes fail to live up to this standard and make mistakes that can be costly to patients. Some patients suffer when doctors misdiagnose their condition or fail to diagnose, resulting in them either being harmed by treatment or the lack thereof.

If you or a loved one has been injured or fallen ill as a result of medical negligence, don’t hesitate to call our Atlanta medical misdiagnosis lawyers. The Mabrey Firm isn’t afraid to stand up for our clients when they’ve been wrongly harmed by the people they’ve been taught to trust. Our decades of experience handling injury claims give us the edge we need to see your case to a successful end.

What is Medical Misdiagnosis?

Medical misdiagnosis occurs when a medical professional either diagnoses a patient with a health condition that they don’t have or fails to diagnose them with a health condition they do have.

Misdiagnosis often leads to a worsening of a patient’s condition and can sometimes result in death. The longer a patient goes without being diagnosed and treated for their health condition, like cancer, the worse that condition will get.

Additionally, a wrong diagnosis can be a waste of a patient’s time and money that they invest in treatments and therapies, not to mention there’s a possibility that the patient can experience adverse side effects from taking medications they don’t necessarily need.

Common Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions

With over two decades of experience handling medical malpractice claims, The Mabrey Firm has seen a wide variety of misdiagnosis claims. However, there are a few common health conditions we’ve noticed that are often misdiagnosed or have failed to be diagnosed by medical professionals. Remember, a failure to diagnose a medical condition can lead to life threatening illness.

Common medical misdiagnosis claims involve the following conditions:

Cancer

Many people know that the key to successfully beating cancer is early detection, which is why it can be devastating when you discover that your doctor failed to diagnose your cancer. Some tests that are commonly used to detect cancer include PSA tests, biopsies, and mammograms, though often doctors fail to order these tests that can easily confirm their patients’ cancer.

Common cancers that are missed by doctors include breast cancer, ovarian and cervical cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, and more.

Heart Attacks

Heart attacks are serious and any symptoms must be reported immediately so you can be carefully examined by a medical professional. Doctors can diagnose and treat heart attacks through various tests like electrocardiograms, cardiac enzyme tests, coronary artery disease tests, and more. Unfortunately, in many ERs and on phone calls, doctors often dismiss the symptoms of heart attacks as digestion problems or anxiety.

Failing to treat a heart attack can cause permanent damage to the heart or wrongful death. If you’re experiencing common heart attack symptoms like sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or arm, shoulder, or back pain, you must be treated immediately.

Strokes

Strokes are often life-changing events that can lead to serious health complications like memory problems and permanent disability. Patients can be treated and easily rehabilitated, but only if they’re diagnosed in a timely manner. Doctors can perform tests like CT or MRI scans to diagnose a stroke early, but sometimes they fail to think to screen their patients.

Other medical conditions that are often misdiagnosed include appendicitis, diabetes, meningitis, and tuberculosis.

When Should the Failure to Diagnose a Medical Condition Lead to a Lawsuit?

If you have been incorrectly treated or had your treatment delayed by your medical professional, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as for any additional medical bills you’ve accrued and lost wages or earning capacity.

You must hire a medical malpractice attorney if you want a chance at recovering damages. In order to hold a medical professional responsible for all diagnostic errors, you must be able to prove certain elements, including that your doctor’s negligence is what caused your injuries.

Our Atlanta medical misdiagnosis attorneys can get to work for you and gather the evidence needed to strengthen your claim, including getting a medical expert opinion to show that your doctor failed to provide you with a reasonable standard of care. Though we can’t reverse the damage that has been done, we can help you recover without falling into financial ruin.

Allow our team at The Mabrey Firm to handle your medical malpractice claim while you concentrate on healing. Call our Atlanta medical misdiagnosis attorneys at (404) 841-4991 today.