Correctly diagnosing a patient’s condition so they can receive the treatment they need is among a medical professional’s top responsibilities. Unfortunately, sometimes negligent doctors fail to provide accurate diagnoses.
Has this happened to you or a loved one in or around Honolulu? If so, review your case with a Honolulu misdiagnosis attorney at Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A. You may be eligible to recover financial compensation. We’ll explain your options and offer dedicated representation if you decide to work with us.
Honolulu Misdiagnosis Cases 101: How a Misdiagnosis Occurs
Misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider diagnoses a condition a patient doesn’t have. Often, the consequences of misdiagnosis are the same as those of failure to diagnose, which is a similar form of negligence involving a doctor not diagnosing a condition in a timely manner.
A physician can misdiagnose for a number of potential reasons. Common examples include (but aren’t limited to) the following:
- Failure to order necessary tests
- Failure to spend adequate time assessing a patient’s symptoms
- Failure to obtain and/or review a patient’s medical history
- Failure to train medical professionals involved in a patient’s treatment
- Lack of proper communication among healthcare providers involved in a patient’s treatment
The Potential Consequences of a Misdiagnosis
The negative impact of a misdiagnosis can be significant. Potential consequences of this form of medical negligence include:
- A patient not receiving necessary treatment in a timely manner, resulting in a prolonging of their condition
- Unnecessary treatment, which can be costly and may cause harm
- Death, if a patient doesn’t receive life-saving treatment in a timely manner
A victim of misdiagnosis will likely incur economic losses as a result of a medical professional’s carelessness. For example, if they don’t receive the treatment they need when they need it, their condition may worsen, forcing them to pay more for their medical care than would have been necessary had they received the proper treatment earlier. Their financial woes could also be exacerbated if their condition prevents them from working.
A misdiagnosis victim could also incur non-economic losses. For instance, they might endure physical and mental/emotional pain as a result of not receiving needed treatment.
How a Honolulu Misdiagnosis Attorney Helps
If you believe you’ve been the victim of misdiagnosis because a doctor was negligent, or if you’ve lost a loved one as a result of misdiagnosis, you can potentially seek financial compensation for certain economic and non-economic losses by filing a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit.
Strongly consider hiring an attorney when doing so. Proving that a doctor’s failure to properly diagnose a condition represents unreasonable negligence can be quite challenging. A Honolulu misdiagnosis lawyer can improve your chances of winning your case by:
- Conducting an investigation to gather evidence of negligence
- Filing a claim on your behalf
- Reviewing your losses to determine how much compensation you might deserve
- Negotiating for a fair settlement with the insurance company
A doctor’s misdiagnosis can have a major impact on your quality of life. You can pursue compensation accordingly with the assistance of a legal professional. At Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A., a Honolulu misdiagnosis attorney is prepared to fight for you. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online or calling us at 808-736-5035.