Making a timely and accurate diagnosis is critical if a patient is to receive the medical treatment they need. When a medical professional makes an error while diagnosing or treating a patient’s condition, the results for the patient can be disastrous and even fatal: unnecessary treatment, delayed treatment, severe injury or even wrongful death.
If your medical condition was made worse, or a family member died due to a medical professional’s misdiagnosis, Florida law gives you the right to seek compensation for the pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages and other damages that resulted from their error.
However, you only have a limited time to act. Don’t delay in reaching out to an experienced Tampa misdiagnosis attorney for the help you need to get the justice you and your family deserve.
Inadequate Diagnosis or Treatment Can Have Serious Consequences
In order to provide their patients with the proper level of care, physicians need to conduct a thorough examination to pinpoint the exact cause of the medical problem their patients are experiencing. In serious cases where time is critical, arriving at the correct diagnosis could mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
The earlier a condition like breast cancer or cervical cancer is diagnosed, the more effective the treatment will be. A delay in diagnosis could allow cancer to spread, making it more difficult or even impossible to treat.
Common Scenarios for Inadequate Medical Treatment in Tampa
Some of the most common misdiagnosed medical conditions include:
- Cancers and tumors
- Cardiac disease
- Infections
- Heart attack
- Female health disorders
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Bowel obstructions
- Autoimmune diseases
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Birth defects
- Stroke
- Head trauma
- Spinal injuries
- Multiple Sclerosis
Without proper diagnosis or treatment, many of these conditions can become life threatening.
Proving Negligence for Medical Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose Claims
There are four things you must be able to prove in order to prevail in a medical misdiagnosis lawsuit:
- A patient/doctor relationship existed;
- The doctor was negligent in providing their patient with the professional level of care than any other skilled and competent physician would be expected to provide;
- The doctor’s negligence was responsible for the patient’s injury or death. It must be established that the patient would not have been harmed if the doctor had responded to the illness in a more timely or capable manner. If a doctor failed to order appropriate tests or properly diagnose easily recognized symptoms, a case can be made for negligence; and
- The patient (or their family, in cases of wrongful death) suffered damages as a result of the doctor’s negligence.
Doctors aren’t the only medical professionals that can be responsible for misdiagnosis. For example, diagnostic equipment that isn’t properly maintained or operated by trained and certified medical technicians can provide erroneous information regarding a patient’s condition. A misdiagnosis can also arise from mistakes made by laboratory staff, such as contamination of samples, incorrect analysis of test results, or incorrect procedures while conducting tests.
Get Help from Tampa Misdiagnosis Attorney Lisa Levine
For more than 35 years, Tampa medical malpractice attorney Lisa S. Levine and her legal team have come to the aid of hundreds of clients all across the state of Florida who have found themselves the victims of medical misdiagnosis. Lisa Levine isn’t afraid to fight for your case; she’s taken on some of the nation’s largest insurance companies and won millions of dollars’ worth of settlements for her clients.
If you or a loved one has suffered damages as a result of a medical professional’s delay in diagnosis or incorrect diagnosis, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Tampa misdiagnosis attorney Lisa S. Levine P.A. is here to help. You can depend on Lisa’s tireless dedication and vast legal expertise to help you obtain the largest settlement possible.
Lisa has successfully represented clients in Tampa, Chapel, Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Lakeland, Palm Harbor, Bradenton, Tarpon Springs and other Gulf Coast Florida communities. Call 954-256-1820 to discuss your case and legal options. We handle most Tampa medical misdiagnosis cases on a contingency basis, which means there are no up-front costs if we decide to represent you, and we don’t collect our fee until you collect your settlement.
