It’s only human to make mistakes, and doctors are not always perfect. However, when physicians overlook the obvious symptoms of a life-threatening condition, that misdiagnosis can cause serious ramifications for a patient and their entire family. This happens more often than you may realize, with one study in BMJ Quality & Safety showing that up to 25% of negligence claims cite diagnostic error.
When you’ve suffered injuries from a misdiagnosis, you may be able to take action and pursue compensation for your losses. Of course, it can be difficult to even identify that you’ve experienced a misdiagnosis at first, because we tend to place our trust in the assessment of a medical professional.
Here are just a few of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions:
- Cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death for adults, and these uncontrolled cell growths require fast diagnosis for a patient to have any chance of survival. Unfortunately, cancer is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions, with up to 10% of all cancer cases involving a missed or delayed diagnosis.
- Fibromyalgia. Characterized by muscle and joint pain, sleep issues, and recurring fatigue, this chronic illness causes extraordinary suffering – and it’s also one of the most overlooked conditions. Without prompt diagnosis and treatment, fibromyalgia patients suffer from a severely reduced quality of life, with up to 25% unable to work all the time.
- Heart attack. Heart attacks kill thousands of Americans each year, but physicians often fail to recognize the symptoms of this common condition, especially in female patients. While part of this is due to symptom variance, doctors are required to stay alert for signs of this life-threatening episode.
- Depression. Missing the signs of depression isn’t usually fatal or life-threatening, but if a depressed patient is clearly close to suicide and fails to get treatment, the screening physician or psychiatrist could be held accountable in some cases.
- Hyperthyroidism & hypothyroidism. Thyroid conditions can affect the metabolic processes in your body, leading to severe weight gain or loss, pain, and muscle weakness. Often mistaken for depression, an untreated case of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can cause heart problems, infertility, and even death.
- Pulmonary embolism. Also known as a blood clot in the lungs, a pulmonary embolism can sometimes be mistaken for a heart attack, or even a severe cold. Up to 33% of patients with this potentially life-threatening condition are sent home or admitted with the wrong diagnosis.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traumatic brain injury refers to a spectrum of injuries that occur because of a blunt or sharp force trauma to the head. Even when you sustain a mild TBI or concussion, it’s easy for doctors to miss the signs of this “invisible” condition, enabling long-term brain damage to take root.
Turn to Our Trial-Tested Attorney
No matter if you’ve suffered a delay in treatment or a completely inaccurate diagnosis from the start, your life-threatening condition can become much worse without the proper course of action. When that happens, our experienced and aggressive medical malpractice attorney David C. Rash can help you seek full compensation for your lasting injuries. With over 25 years of experience and millions of dollars won for our clients, we’ll fight on your behalf and provide compassionate counsel for your case.
Call (954) 914-7116 to speak with a team member at the Law Offices of David C. Rash!