Failure to diagnose, No. 1 medical malpractice issue

On Behalf of | Jul 17, 2019 | Failure to Diagnose |

Visiting an Oregon doctor’s office or hospital is often the first logical step to take when adverse health symptoms arise. It is reasonable to expect that a licensed physician can provide guidance and support regarding ill-health or injury. However, things do not always go as one might hope, which is made evident by the fact that failure to diagnose is one of the top reasons for medical malpractice litigation.

If a doctor does not properly diagnose a medical condition or fails to advise a patient to seek additional support if he or she is at a loss regarding a particular diagnosis, the patient in question may wind up in worse condition. Many medical conditions present similar symptoms. Doctors know how to use advanced technology, medical journals and consultation with other doctors to help them formulate diagnoses in challenging situations.

Misdiagnosis can also lead to incorrect treatments, which may do far more harm than good. In fact, in some cases, it can place a patient in a life-threatening situation. Medication errors, childbirth injuries and anesthesia errors are also factors that are often key factors in medical injury cases.

Any Oregon patient who has suffered injury because of a failure to diagnose or some other issue may seek financial recovery for his or her losses by filing a medical malpractice claim in a civil court. A plaintiff in such cases is tasked with proving that a doctor, nurse or other party was negligent in his or her care and that said negligence directly caused him or her injury. Strong evidence is definitely needed to convince a jury or judge, which is why most injured patients ask experienced personal injury attorneys to advocate for them in court.