We recently reported how misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose are the leading factors in most medical malpractice lawsuits. Both medical errors often result when a doctor is pressed for time, fails to perform adequate diagnostic tests or simply fails to notice certain telltale signs that something more serious is amiss.
News recently broke of one particularly troubling medical malpractice case involving the misdiagnosis of a 54-year-old mother of four. Upon visiting the doctor to receive the results of a breast biopsy, the woman was told she had Stage 4 breast cancer. In an effort to eradicate this type of aggressive and often terminal breast cancer, the woman underwent roughly seven months of chemotherapy treatment.
Eventually, another doctor determined that the doctor who initially treated the woman misread important test results and the woman in fact did not have cancer. The 54-year-old was recently awarded a settlement in the amount of $367,500. This amount, however, does little to erase the memories of months spent undergoing painful medical treatments or nights spent lying awake worrying about finances and the future care of her family.
While this specific case involves a woman who was wrongly diagnosed with a serious form of cancer, in other cases the opposite scenario plays out. In many cases, doctors and other medical professionals fail to recognize the signs and symptoms of serious and potentially deadly underlying conditions and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Many such cases involving failure to diagnose result in the injury or death of a patient.
Ohio families who have been adversely impacted by a medical error involving a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose may choose to seek legal advice. In some cases a medical malpractice lawsuit may be an appropriate means to recovering compensation related to medical expenses, pain and suffering and permanent injury or death.
Source: International Scient Times, "Cancer Misdiagnosis Damages: Texas Mom Awarded $250K After 7 Months Of Painful Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer She Never Had," Philip Ross, July 17, 2013