New York City Medical Misdiagnosis Attorneys
A misdiagnosis can potentially cause serious harm to a patient who is incorrectly diagnosed with a medical condition. An impatient doctor, lab report error or misread test result can provide a grim diagnosis to a healthy patient or send a sick patient home, where their illness often worsens. When a misdiagnosis results in a serious injury or death, the negligent medical professional or institution may be liable for any resulting damages.
If you or a loved one was misdiagnosed and suffered an injury as a result, fill out our FREE case review form on this page. A New York medical malpractice attorney can determine, at no cost to you, whether your doctor is liable for your suffering.
Types of Misdiagnoses
A correct diagnosis is the basis upon which a patient and their doctor decide whether to order treatment. When a patient receives an incorrect diagnosis, or misdiagnosis, they may undergo inappropriate or unnecessary treatment or fail to receive the treatment needed to save their life or prevent future complications. A misdiagnosis of rapidly progressive diseases, such as cancer, is particularly risky as these malignancies are most responsive to treatment during the earlier stages.
There are several major types of misdiagnosis, which are described as follows:
False positive: This type of medical misdiagnosis can develop in two situations. The doctor may mistake the symptoms of one disease for another, and incorrectly diagnose their patient. Although rare, a negligent doctor may also diagnose a healthy patient with a disease from which they do not suffer.
False negative: This type of medical misdiagnosis means that the patient has the disease for which they are being tested, but a medical error leads the patient to believe they are healthy. A false negative misdiagnosis can be particularly devastating, as the patient will be sent home without receiving the proper treatment or follow-up care.
Failure to identify the subtype: Medical misdiagnosis can occur when the doctor fails to identify the subtype of the patient’s condition. In many instances, this identification is not necessary. However, when a patient suffers from diabetes, heart problems or a similar condition, failure to identify a subtype can be particularly harmful.
Failure to diagnose an underlying condition: A misdiagnosis can occur when a physician fails to identify the underlying cause of their patient’s medical condition. When an underlying condition is overlooked, the treatment of the diagnosed ailment may be incorrect or inadequate.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Diseases
Although nearly every medical condition has the potential to be misdiagnosed, the following diseases are frequently given incorrect diagnoses:
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
- Heart attack
- Testicular cancer
- Stroke
- Bacterial meningitis
- Diabetes
- Pulmonary embolism
- Appendicitis
- Cervical cancer
- Ovarian cancer
Many of these diseases are not only the result of a doctor’s misdiagnosis, but also errors in diagnostic testing which can eventually lead to mistreatment. Medical imaging is used when diagnosing a variety of conditions, and unfortunately, is only as good as the individual reading the film. Often, these diagnostic tests are vital in the diagnosis of serious illnesses, which may go undiagnosed if the technician or specialist makes a crucial error.
New York Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyers
Our New York medical malpractice law firm has the experience needed to level the playing field against prominent hospitals and doctors. Our team of New York medical malpractice lawyers previously worked for a major medical malpractice defense firm, so we understand the tactics negligent medical professionals will use to validate their actions. We will use this knowledge, as well as experience representing injured New York residents, to ensure our clients are properly compensated for their injuries.
Our medical misdiagnosis attorneys in New York are skilled in handling all types of medical negligence claims, including cases of misdiagnoses and failure to diagnose. For instance, we recently recovered a $1.25 million medical malpractice settlement for a woman who was given a false negative result after a breast tissue biopsy, only to be diagnosed with breast cancer nine months later. We thoroughly prepared and presented her case against the negligent New York City hospital, which was required to pay our client damages for failing to diagnose cancer in a timely fashion. If you or a loved one was also misdiagnosed, feel FREE to contact our New York medical malpractice attorneys today for a FREE case review.