Misdiagnosis is one of the most serious issues that face the medical community and the patients that rely on them. When a doctor fails to diagnose a patient properly, they put the patient at immense risk of further complications. Due to this, the ability to sue doctors for medical malpractice revolving around misdiagnosis was introduced into the law. Seven common misdiagnoses are known to lead to medical malpractice lawsuits frequently, and you need to know about every single one of them:
1. Cancer
Unfortunately, cancer remains one of the US most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions. The problem is common enough that it’s known to be one of the biggest reasons doctors carry medical malpractice insurance. When doctors fail to diagnose cancer, they steal valuable treatment time from their patients. Catching cancer as soon as possible is key to treating it effectively. Victims of this type of malpractice often file medical malpractice claims against the medical professional who misdiagnosed them and failed to catch the obvious signs of cancer.
2. Heart Attack
Misdiagnosis often occurs when a doctor determines that a patient does not fit the typical heart attack profile and fails to do cardiovascular tests. Heart attack victims need immediate care to help reverse the damage of a heart attack, or they are at serious risk of another attack and even death. However, painless heart attacks are hard to detect, which can cause doctors to diagnose them as heartburn, fatigue, or other medical issues. Heart attacks continue to be one of the most common misdiagnoses in the country.
3. Fibromyalgia
Also known as celiac disease, fibromyalgia can be devastating for those afflicted. This autoimmune, genetic condition occurs when the body’s immune system begins attacking the body’s tissues after the sufferer consumes gluten. Unfortunately, roughly 1 in 133 Americans suffer from this frustrating disease. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia remains one of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions.
4. Stroke
Strokes are devastating for people who suffer from them. In most cases, they can cause life-long complications and lead to further medical issues. Common symptoms of strokes include dizziness, trouble speaking, severe headaches, difficulty seeing, weakness, and paralysis. When a patient suffers from these symptoms, and a doctor fails to look for signs of a stroke, they are negligent. Due to this, people who are misdiagnosed after a stroke can consider filing a medical malpractice claim. Doing so can help them receive compensation for the damages they’ve suffered.
5. Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is rising, so misdiagnosis has become a serious issue in the medical community. It has led to a high number of medical malpractice lawsuits. The bacterial infection is often associated with the following symptoms: liver inflammation, heart problems, general inflammation, and fatigue. Because these symptoms are similar to flu and chronic fatigue, many doctors fail to catch them early on. When they fail to do so, the patient suffers from a lack of treatment for this serious and on-the-rise disease.
6. Sepsis
Serious infections are surprisingly misdiagnosed at a high rate, despite the often obvious symptoms they cause. The infection can sometimes become so severe that it’s life-threatening and becomes sepsis. Because these symptoms can mimic other diseases and afflictions, such as multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, doctors will frequently misdiagnose sepsis. When they do so, they take away valuable treatment time that the patient needs to survive the serious infection. Delayed diagnosis allows the infection to progress at a rapid and extremely dangerous rate.
7. Autoimmune Disorders
Doctors frequently misdiagnose a variety of serious autoimmune disorders. Because autoimmune disorders are incredibly dangerous when untreated, patients who suffer from them need to be treated and put on long-term treatment as soon as possible. If a doctor fails to diagnose an autoimmune disorder over a long period due to prejudice or negligence, they can be successfully sued via a medical malpractice claim.
Help is Out There for Misdiagnosed Patients
Many assume they cannot win a medical malpractice lawsuit, but this could not be further from the truth. Medical malpractice suits are settled and won every single day. When you’re injured due to a doctor’s negligence, lack of attention, or prejudice, you deserve justice for the suffering they caused. You can achieve the justice you’re seeking with a quality medical malpractice lawyer.
