When someone is hurt, ill, or in any other way under the weather, the first step to them getting the right treatment for their specific condition is a qualified medical professional identifying the condition they are struggling with. While most doctors and specialists can be trusted to provide correct and timely diagnoses, this is not always what happens. If left unchecked, a provider’s failure to diagnose can result in a patient suffering severe and unnecessary harm.
Filing suit over damages related to a missed or incorrect medical diagnosis can be complicated, which is why having help from a knowledgeable malpractice attorney can be vital to securing a positive final outcome. From beginning to end of your settlement negotiations or civil court trial, your Bridgeport failure to diagnose lawyer can work to build the strongest case possible and tirelessly pursue the compensation you deserve.
Thanks to their years of education, practical training, and on-the-job experience, every healthcare practitioner should have thorough knowledge of how various health problems manifest and what tests and procedures might be helpful in differentiating between them. Even in the modern day, though, medicine is not quite an exact science. There is room for subjectivity not only in what particular symptoms might mean but also in how the same illness or injury might affect one patient compared to another.
In light of that, simply saying that a doctor got a diagnosis wrong may not always justify civil litigation by itself, since even the most capable and dedicated physicians cannot guarantee perfect outcomes for every patient. Instead, a prospective plaintiff must be able to show that a provider breached the applicable standard of care by failing to diagnose them correctly. This involves demonstrating that an equally qualified and experienced physician put in the same circumstances would not have acted the way the negligent provider did.
Furthermore, a prospective plaintiff must supplement their own argument by making a “reasonable inquiry” with at least one expert in the same medical field(s) as the defendant(s), who must provide a written and signed statement affirming that available evidence indicates the plaintiff has grounds for a lawsuit. A Bridgeport failure to diagnose attorney at Berkowitz Hanna can explain this and other applicable rules for litigation in more detail during a confidential consultation.
Any time a doctor does not diagnose a patient’s condition in a timely fashion, that patient cannot get the treatment they need to alleviate that condition and mitigate its negative effects. Even a delay of a few weeks can have huge repercussions when it comes to treating certain types of illnesses, especially cancer, cardiovascular problems, and infectious diseases like pneumonia.
All forms of harm that could have been avoided with a proper diagnosis and treatment may be recoverable in an ensuing failure to diagnose claim, as a Bridgeport lawyer can affirm. These may include not only objective economic losses like additional medical expenses and missed work income but also various forms of physical pain, emotional suffering, and long-term lost enjoyment of life.
Negligence by a medical professional at any point while treating a patient could potentially have dire consequences, including when that professional is determining what treatment a particular patient might need. If your doctor’s failure to identify your medical issue caused you to sustain preventable injuries and losses, civil litigation against that irresponsible individual might be essential to preserving your long-term quality of life.
To learn more about your legal options, schedule a free consultation at Berkowitz Hanna. A knowledgeable Bridgeport failure to diagnose lawyer at our office can provide invaluable support throughout this process, fighting hard to get you the compensation you need.
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