Massachusetts Personal Injury Library

What is Failure to Diagnose? (Part A)

Failure to diagnose is the terminology used by doctors and personal injury lawyers to indicate that a patient has a set of symptoms that have gone undiagnosed. It is considered one of the forms of misdiagnosis, or missed diagnosis.

Legal Ramifications

When that failure to diagnose leads to harm to the patient, such as an injury caused by the delayed diagnosis and treatment, there are legal ramifications which need to be addressed.

Sometimes a patient is told that their symptoms are all in their head when the doctor is just stumped as to what condition the symptoms are connected with. Additionally, problems occur when a patient is misdiagnosed.

If you have suffered an injury due to a doctor’s failed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis, you have the right to pursue a claim for rightful compensation for your injuries. Talk to an experienced Boston personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled medical malpractice cases before. Your attorney will review your case for free and advise you on the best course of legal action.

Why Can’t a Diagnosis Be Determined?

There are many reasons as to why physicians might not be able to make the diagnosis of a medical condition. Several of them are listed below:

• The patient might have multiple conditions making it very difficult and confusing to diagnose a new condition.
• The symptoms may be difficult to identify and/or they can be related to more than one condition.
• The body system or parts may be unclear in the symptomology and the patient may see the wrong specialist.
• There can be conflict between medications/drugs the patient is taking. This can cause other symptoms or change the pattern of symptoms.
• The real medical issue may be extremely rare or the symptoms might not exactly match making the doctor less likely to choose that as a diagnosis.
• The illness the symptoms suggest may not be appropriate for the age of the patient; therefore the doctor dismisses the idea of that condition.
• The patient may not be truthful about all symptoms and/or alcohol and drug use.

Continue to What is Failure to Diagnose? (Part B) >>