Pennsylvania Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyers

Medical misdiagnosis is the cause for 20% of fatal illnesses but fortunately, not all misdiagnosis cases are fatal. A misdiagnosis can lead to a worsening of a patient’s condition, undue stress and anxiety and death. Non fatal misdiagnoses may be a cause of wasted time, money, tests, and therapies for the patient. There is also the possibility that the patient will suffer unnecessary side effects from taking unneeded medications.

TYPES OF MEDICAL MISDIAGNOSIS:

• Wrong disease diagnosed
• Failure to diagnose in a reasonable amount of time
• Diagnosis of current condition is right, but underlying cause is not identified
• Medication side effects mistaken for illness

IS MISDIAGNOSIS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?

Three things need to be proven for misdiagnosis to be considered medical malpractice.

1. The patient was actually seeing said physician for a condition, symptoms, and/or treatment.
2. How was the medical provider negligent?
3. There was negligence on the part of the physician in causing injury to the patient.

COMMON MISDIAGNOSIS CONDITIONS

According to an article by Elizabeth Cohen posted on CNN.com, “Five Commonly Misdiagnosed Diseases,” cancer, heart attack, aortic dissection, clogged arteries, and infection are misdiagnosed at alarming rates. Other common misdiagnosed conditions included:

• Appendicitis
• Breast Cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Diabetes
• Lung Cancer
• Meningitis
• Heart attack
• Ovarian Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Stroke
• Testicular Cancer
• Tuberculosis
• Infections
• Multiple sclerosis
• Depression
• Parkinson’s disease
• Celiac disease
• Lyme disease
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

WHAT CAN A PATIENT DO TO PREVENT MISDIAGNOSIS?

As a patient, being proactive can greatly increase your odds for survival. You are your best first line of defense against medical misdiagnosis. Patients can do the following to ensure a correct and timely diagnosis is made:

• Pay attention to warning signs of potential problems that your body gives you
• Be very clear when communicating your symptoms to your doctor
• Make sure your medical provider knows your medical history
• Request a secondary diagnosis from your doctor
• Ask for tests to be done
• Follow up on the results
• Seek out a second opinion

HOW CAN A PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAL MISDIAGNOSIS ATTORNEY HELP?

Our Pennsylvania medical misdiagnosis attorneys want to be sure that these negligent health care providers pay for your suffering. Should you honor us by retaining us as your attorneys, our misdiagnosis attorneys, along with our medical team of experts, will begin gathering evidence and using our expertise to bring these medical professionals to justice. We will put in every effort to help you obtain compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, diminished quality of life or reduce lifespan, or the loss of a loved due to misdiagnosis.

Call toll free 1-800-444-5309 for a free consultation. We have offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Scranton and Pittsburgh and will travel to you.