Every time you go to the doctor, you are entrusting your health and your life to them. That is the relationship that exists between doctor and patient which is why it is especially difficult when a doctor violates the sanctity of that relationship and negligently misdiagnoses you. If you have been misdiagnosed due to a doctor’s negligence, and you have questions about the misdiagnosis medical malpractice case process in West Palm Beach, get in touch with a lawyer today. A determined medical malpractice lawyer can devote the time and resources necessary to building your case and ensuring a positive outcome for you.
Common Forms of Misdiagnosis
Unfortunately, the most dangerous conditions to misdiagnose and mistreat are some of the most common things that are misdiagnosed. That includes cancer or infections that, when left untreated, can rapidly go on to cause great harm and death. The best way to reduce or prevent the occurrence of misdiagnosis is for the doctor or the healthcare professional to take the time necessary to give a full evaluation to the patient, listen to the patient, and go through the proper procedures to come to a correct diagnosis.
Unique Aspects of Misdiagnosis Cases
Misdiagnosed cases are unique in the sense that the doctor is not the direct cause of the medical condition. However, if the doctor had the opportunity to prevent that medical condition from progressing but did not do so because of negligent behavior, things like cancers and bad infections are left untreated. An undiagnosed condition or an untreated illness can result in terrible complications, and in some instances, even death. The shame in that is that medicine has come so far that when these things are properly recognized and treated in a timely manner, most of the time, good medical care can prevent cancer, infection, or whatever the disease process is from advancing and causing harm.
Process of a Misdiagnosis Case
The most important thing people should know about the misdiagnosis medical malpractice case process in West Palm Beach is that there are time limitations in which a person must bring a claim. Once the claim is started, the system does not move nearly as quickly as one would hope. There are built-in delays in the system.
One delay, for example, requires the lawyer to get a pre-suit affidavit from medical experts who reviewed the record to say that a healthcare professional did something wrong and caused significant harm. The lawyer must send a letter to the defense to inform them that the lawyer believes there is a valid claim against the defense. There is a 90-day period where the lawyer cannot file the lawsuit. There are built-in delays that people need to understand. The delays are not because a plaintiff’s lawyer wants the case to go slowly but because the system has roadblocks in place.
Role of an Attorney
The first thing a lawyer will want to know is what happened. Following that, they will ask who is responsible, and what the outcome was/what the severity of the injury is. The medical malpractice lawyer wants to find out when the incident happened and where it happened, to begin making determinations about whether there is evidence of malpractice and whether the statute of limitations has run out.
The first thing an attorney actually does is gather the medical records and combine those with what the patient tells the lawyer about what happened. The lawyer consults with an expert to evaluate whether the care that was given is acceptable. If it is not acceptable, the attorney determines whether the bad care was the cause of the harm the patient suffered. Besides investigating the case and establishing liability, the most important thing your lawyer can do is walk you through the misdiagnosis medical malpractice case process in West Palm Beach.
You do not have to go through this case alone. Contact a capable medical malpractice lawyer today, and know that you are in good hands.
Speak to a member of our team today.