The Doctor Got It Wrong

The problem of medical misdiagnosis in America is bigger than many people think. It happens when a doctor does not diagnose a condition properly, or incorrectly diagnoses someone's condition. While neither of these problems happens to be intentional, they often result in medical malpractice because they are based on negligence. Of interest is the fact that the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicate the rate of misdiagnoses in the US has not improved much since the 1930s. Doesn't that revelation make you stop and think?

Victims of medical malpractice have the right to file a lawsuit and recover damages for things like the expenses related to the initial misdiagnosis, lost wages (not just for the future and the present, but for the past) and the mental anguish the misdiagnosis caused. In instances where death was a result of the misdiagnosis, the family members may be able to file a wrongful death suit and be compensated for the death.

Medical malpractice lawsuits must be filed within a certain period of time, and this tends to vary with each state, so make sure to speak to a knowledgeable attorney about the time limits. For instance, in Arkansas a medical malpractice suit must be filed within two years after the date of the incident.

The most common instances where medical misdiagnosis has happened usually occur when potentially dealing with cervical, lung, colon and breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, severe infections, meningitis and diabetes. At one time, it was thought that roughly 20% of every deadly disease diagnosed was wrongly diagnosed. Unfortunately, it's likely this statistic from 2006 has increased.

How does medical misdiagnosis happen? It is usually the result of a doctor making the wrong call on whether or not a tumor is benign or malignant; not ordering screening for a condition a patient is at high risk to develop; doesn't do necessary testing or refer to a specialist; misreads lab tests, doesn't listen to the patient closely and doesn't properly handle lab specimens.

If you suspect you may be the victim of medical malpractice (medical misdiagnosis), contact a medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case. Remember, time is of the essence in these cases, so do not wait until it is too late.

Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. Learn more by visiting Arkansaslawhelp.com