When visiting a doctor, everyone expects to receive the expert care that comes from years of medical training. But unfortunately, some people aren’t given the care and attention they deserve.
Has a misdiagnosis caused you, a family member, or a friend to suffer pain, an injury, or even death? Then you may wonder what legal options you have.
In this post, we will cover everything you need to know about medical misdiagnoses and their legal consequences. At Morgan & Morgan, we work with many clients in similar situations to yours.
If you have questions about what to do if a friend was medically misdiagnosed, please get in touch using our convenient online form. We can schedule a free case evaluation to discuss the situation further.
What Qualifies as a Misdiagnosis?
Misdiagnosis happens when a doctor makes an incorrect assumption about your friend’s symptoms or test results. This is more than a simple mistake; a medical misdiagnosis can have catastrophic consequences. A misdiagnosis might worsen your friend’s condition, delay an accurate diagnosis, and eventually lead to death.
Failure to diagnose a condition can also qualify as a misdiagnosis. In any case, misdiagnosis is a type of medical negligence that may have legal consequences.
Misdiagnosis may happen at the hands of a doctor, a hospital, or even a pharmacist. But for the situation to be eligible for a lawsuit, direct and quantifiable harm must have occurred.