Most of us attempt to identify your health ailment and self-medicate at home with natural remedies or over-the-counter medications when you’re feeling unwell. We only venture out to a doctor’s office if our condition doesn’t seem to be improving.
We place a lot of faith in our medical providers to properly diagnose us when we see them. However, a 2023 investigative article published by USA Today suggests that medical practitioners misdiagnose diseases that their patients have approximately 11% of the time. In 2022, the TV news network, CNN, published a story in which they highlighted how 7.4 million patients receive misdiagnoses annually.
If a doctor has incorrectly diagnosed your medical condition or that of a loved one, then you likely don’t need to be reminded of how that can carry with it adverse consequences. Our team at Thomas Law Offices wants you to know that Kentucky law allows you to take civil legal action against a medical provider who engages in wrongdoing like this.
Reach out to our firm to speak with a Louisville misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis lawyer if your physician didn’t properly identify your illness to discuss the legal options you have. We offer free initial consultations with our attorneys.
Table of Contents
Understanding What Misdiagnoses and Delayed Diagnoses Are
A misdiagnosis occurs when a health care provider incorrectly identifies a medical condition, sometimes leading to them not prescribing any treatment or alternatively recommending an inappropriate or ineffective option for addressing it.
A delayed diagnosis is a situation in which the correct diagnosis is ultimately made, but only after a significant delay.
Both scenarios described above can lead to a patient’s health condition significantly deteriorating or, in some instances, a preventable death before the correct illness is identified.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Health Issues
Any misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is serious. They can cause potentially life-threatening issues that can have devastating consequences for patients who experience them.
The most common misdiagnosed or late-diagnosed conditions include:
- Heart Attack: Symptoms of a heart attack (medically known as a myocardial infarction) occur when blood flow to a portion of this vital organ is blocked. Usually, a buildup of fatty plaque deposits in the arteries causes this. Heart attacks can be mistaken for other conditions, leading to delayed diagnoses and treatment, which can be life-threatening.
- Stroke: A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked or significantly reduced, stopping brain tissue from getting the necessary oxygen and nutrients. Symptoms of a stroke are similar to those associated with other medical conditions, which, if not recognized, and addressed, can result in delays in diagnosis and treatment.
- Infections: Doctors may misdiagnose serious infections, like sepsis and meningitis, due to their nonspecific symptoms or because other health care providers misinterpret test results.
- Autoimmune Diseases: Your autoimmune system fights off bacterial invaders. Medical conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose because of their varied and sometimes overlapping symptoms.
- Mental Health Disorders: Nearly one out of every five adults (almost 20% of them) is suffering from a diagnosable emotional or behavioral health issue, according to Mental Health America. Concerns like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may initially be misdiagnosed, leading to delays in a patient receiving an appropriate treatment.
- Chronic Pain Syndromes: Fibromyalgia and other chronic fatigue syndromes have symptoms that are often misattributed or even initially dismissed.
- Thyroid Conditions: Conditions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism often start with vague symptoms that can be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed.
- Gastrointestinal Diseases: Conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often have overlapping symptoms and may be misdiagnosed or diagnosed late.
Other commonly misdiagnosed conditions include appendicitis and tuberculosis.
The above is only a brief list of conditions that lead to prospective clients reaching out to a Louisville misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis lawyer like ours for help in holding doctors accountable for their negligence.
Whether you have one of the illnesses described above or something else, know that you have rights if a health care provider didn’t properly diagnose you. Contact us at Thomas Law Offices for a free case evaluation so we can explain your rights and the legal options available to you.
A Missed Cancer Diagnosis
In the United States, cancer is the second leading cause of death, according to a 2024 American Cancer Journals study.
To successfully combat cancer, doctors need to provide an accurate, timely diagnosis. Therefore, if you’ve been harmed by a diagnostic error, you should consult a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis lawyer in Louisville to consider your legal options.
Early detection is one of the best ways to survive cancer. Consider these facts:
- According to Wired Magazine, 90% of ovarian cancer patients live when the disease is discovered at stage I or II. However, that number plummets to 20% if the cancer isn’t discovered until stage III.
- When a doctor catches breast cancer early, women have a 99% survival rate, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. However, if diagnosed late, only 27% of women survive the disease.
Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis also affects patients with other medical conditions. Despite rapid advances in medical technology, doctors still misdiagnose fatal diseases far too often.
Legal Options That a Louisville Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis Lawyer May Recommend If You’ve Suffered Harm
When a doctor makes a misdiagnosis, the patient and his or her family pay the price. This can include medical bills, lost wages, and emotional costs. You may be entitled to compensation for these losses under Kentucky law.
If you or someone you love is the victim of a diagnostic error, don’t hesitate to seek legal help. A Louisville misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis lawyer can guide you through the legal process, help you understand your rights, and aid you in securing the maximum compensation you deserve after you’ve been harmed by medical malpractice.
Taking action can not only help you secure a financial recovery but also prevent similar mistakes from happening to others.
Contact us today at Thomas Law Offices for a free consultation.
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