Wrong Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis

When a doctor’s error in diagnosis leads to incorrect or delayed treatment, your health can be seriously compromised. In fact, some cases of wrong or misdiagnosis even lead to wrongful death. For example, if a doctor fails to correctly identify a life-threatening disease like cancer or bacterial meningitis, you may progress to a more advanced stage of your disease that is difficult or impossible to treat.

There is no excuse for physicians who fail to recognize the symptoms of terminal or debilitating diseases. When dangerous conditions are identified and treated early, patients have a much higher chance of overcoming them. The pain and difficulty of late-stage treatment can take a heavy toll on a patient, both physically and emotionally. Negligent doctors should be held accountable for the suffering a patient has gone through when it could have so easily been prevented.

However, it is important to remember that a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is not itself evidence of negligence. Even skilled doctors can sometimes make diagnostic errors when they are giving all of their attention to your symptoms. The key is whether or not the doctor was competent in his or her actions. This involves evaluating what the doctor did and didn’t do before arriving at their diagnosis.

If you have further questions about misdiagnosis, please contact Wapner Newman today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney. We represent medical malpractice victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with offices in Philadelphia, West Conshohocken, Allentown, and Marlton.