Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose
When patients turn to their physicians for diagnosis and treatment, they have every reason to expect that they will receive care of at least a competent standard. While medical professionals are, like all humans, imperfect and capable of mistakes, they are ethically and legally obligated to provide the best care that they possibly can. At minimum, they must provide diagnosis and treatment of a reasonable standard at all times.
When it comes to diagnosis, this reasonable standard is not difficult to meet. If a patient voices complaints and exhibits symptoms that would result in a competent medical professional arriving at a certain diagnosis, that diagnosis must at least be considered and pursued diligently by all medical professionals in the same circumstances. If a physician fails to arrive at such a common diagnosis, or fails to follow up in a timely manner on such a diagnosis, he or she may be held responsible for any injury to - or, tragically, the death of - the patient.
Timely and accurate diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death in many cases. If you or a member of your family was harmed by a physicians misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, the Brooklyn personal injury attorneys of Gary A. Zucker & Associates, P.C. can fight on your behalf to ensure that justice is served. We will make sure that the physician or other medical professional in question is held properly accountable for his or her negligence and obtain the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled.
You shouldnt have to bear the burden of someone elses negligence. Allow our Brooklyn misdiagnosis attorneys to stand up for your rights. Contact Gary A. Zucker & Associates, P.C. today to arrange an evaluation of your potential misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose case.
What Constitutes a Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose
As stated earlier, medical professionals are not - nor should they be - held to a standard of perfection. In their earliest stages, some diseases are extremely difficult to diagnose accurately, if at all. Furthermore, certain diseases and disorders are very rare, and therefore may require diagnosis by a specialist. Sometimes physicians do provide care of a reasonable standard, yet are unable to provide the correct diagnosis.
However, when a condition clearly should have been diagnosed by a competent physician, and the physician in question simply overlooked obvious symptoms or dismissed a patients complaint, there may be grounds for our Brooklyn medical malpractice attorneys to take legal action. Misdiagnosis of or failure to diagnose cancer, heart attack, stroke, infections, tumors, and other conditions that demand timely treatment in order to save the life of the patient is particularly agonizing for victims.
Damages in Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose Cases
If you or a member of your family was injured, or if you lost your family member, due to a physicians misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, you may be entitled to damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages
- Loss of future wages, support, consortium, and benefits (in wrongful death cases)
- Funeral costs (in wrongful death cases)
In cases of extreme negligence, you may be further entitled to punitive damages (i.e., damages that are awarded primarily to punish the negligent party).
For further information, please dont hesitate to contact our personal injury attorneys in Brooklyn today.