Hyattsville, MD Misdiagnosis Attorney

Trusted Lawyer for Misdiagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis, and Failure to Diagnose in Hyattsville, Maryland

The ability to accurately diagnose medical conditions or health issues is one of the most important parts of effective medical care. When doctors and healthcare providers fail to correctly identify a patient's condition, the consequences can be severe. A misdiagnosis may lead to delayed treatment, permanent injuries, or even wrongful death. This form of medical negligence can prevent patients from receiving the care they need when they need it most.

People who have suffered harm due to misdiagnosis will need to understand their legal options. At Kisner Law, we work with patients who have suffered due to diagnostic errors, helping them hold negligent medical professionals accountable. We fight aggressively to ensure that our clients will recover the full compensation they deserve for their injuries.

How Misdiagnosis Can Occur

Diagnostic errors can happen at any stage of the medical evaluation process. These errors may involve:

• Misdiagnosis: A doctor may identify the wrong illness or condition, and this may lead to an inappropriate treatment plan.
• Delayed Diagnosis: The correct condition may eventually be identified, but not as soon as it should have been. In these cases, an illness may progress or worsen when it should have been addressed earlier.
• Failure to Diagnose: A serious condition may be entirely overlooked, leading to a lack of treatment and worsening health issues.

Common reasons for diagnostic mistakes include:

• Failure to order appropriate tests, such as blood work, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, or biopsies
• Misinterpretation of test results by physicians, radiologists, or laboratory staff
• Inadequate reviews of patient history
• Failure to perform a complete physical examination
• Attributing symptoms to minor conditions without considering more serious possibilities
• Dismissals of a patient's concerns
• Failure to follow up on reported symptoms
• Communication breakdowns between healthcare providers

If a reasonable and competent physician in a similar situation would have made the correct diagnosis, the error may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim.

Commonly Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions

Certain diseases and conditions are frequently misdiagnosed. Doctors may mistake a condition for another, less serious illness, or they may fail to realize how far a condition has progressed. When these errors occur, the results can be devastating. Conditions that may be misdiagnosed include:

• Cancer: Breast, lung, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, and prostate cancers, as well as other forms of cancer, are sometimes missed or misdiagnosed as infections, cysts, or benign growths. A delayed diagnosis may allow cancer to advance to more dangerous stages.
• Heart Attack: Symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, or nausea may be misinterpreted as acid reflux or anxiety, especially in women or younger patients.
• Stroke: Dizziness, confusion, or slurred speech can be mistaken for intoxication, migraines, or inner ear disorders, resulting in missed opportunities for emergency intervention.
• Infections: Sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia can progress rapidly when these issues are not diagnosed and treated within the proper timeframes.
• Pulmonary Embolism: Shortness of breath or chest discomfort may be misread as a panic attack or asthma.
• Autoimmune Disorders: Lupus, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia often have vague, overlapping symptoms that lead to incorrect diagnoses.
• Ectopic Pregnancy: Severe abdominal pain during early pregnancy may be dismissed as gastrointestinal distress, placing the patient at risk of rupture, internal bleeding, and other complications.

The Impact of Misdiagnosis on Patients

When a patient is misdiagnosed, the consequences of these errors can affect them for months, years, or even the rest of their life. The impact of a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or failure to diagnose may include:

• Worsening of the condition due to a lack of appropriate treatment, which can lead to serious injuries or permanent disabilities
• Unnecessary treatment for the wrong condition, which can include harmful medications or surgeries
• Increased medical expenses for additional testing, procedures, and ongoing care
• Emotional distress from knowing that the harm a person has suffered due to a misdiagnosed illness could have been prevented
• Loss of income or earning ability if the condition limits the patient's ability to work
• Loss of life in cases where a delayed or incorrect diagnosis leads to death

Contact Our Hyattsville, MD Misdiagnosis Injury Lawyer

When a misdiagnosis has caused you to suffer harm, Kisner Law can provide guidance on the best steps you can take to address the negligence of a doctor or medical provider. We will work to ensure that you will be compensated for the injuries and health issues related to an incorrect diagnosis. Contact our team at 240-459-0097 to arrange a free consultation.