Wrong Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis

The Maine wrong diagnosis attorneys of Peter Thompson & Associates are results-driven leaders in medical malpractice law. We are committed to helping patients injured by misdiagnosis recover the compensation they deserve. Our office provides stellar legal representation to personal injury and medical malpractice victims throughout Maine.

We rely on physicians to treat our illness and advise us of medical options. Properly diagnosing the illness is essential to recovery. Receiving the wrong diagnosis is not only emotionally disturbing, but physically harmful because it often leads to the wrong course of treatment. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health revealed that misdiagnoses of infection have led to the overuse of antibiotics. Increased tolerance to prescription-strength antibiotics not only compromises the body’s immune system, but makes it more difficult to treat future infection. Meanwhile, constantly evolving strains of bacteria have become totally resistant to antibiotics. The misdiagnosis of common infections can therefore have serious, widespread consequences.

Patients should not have to go through three to four courses of antibiotics before receiving the proper diagnosis. They understand that one physician might not have the answer to all their problems and are willing to seek a second opinion. If doctors cannot properly diagnose patients after a battery of tests and failed treatments, they must send them to a colleague or specialist who can. Misdiagnosing an illness and providing the wrong treatment can take valuable time off a patient’s life and often prevents patients from receiving the care they need. Physicians forget that most sick patients seek the proper diagnosis of an underlying illness, not just a means to mask the symptoms. Similar symptoms often lead to the misdiagnosis of ailments involving:

• Bacterial meningitis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Bowel or colon cancer
• Breast and skin cancer
• Strokes and heart attacks
• Gallstones, kidney stones
• Prostate, testicular cancer
• Ovarian cysts, appendicitis
• Undiagnosed sprains, fractures
• Asthma, allergies, tuberculosis

Wrong diagnoses are typically caused by negligence. When health care providers make an uneducated guess, order the wrong tests, or misinterpret the results, they breach a basic duty of care to the patient. This negligence may result in the fatal delay of treatment or “mistreatment” through aggressive courses of prescription medication, chemotherapy, or radiation. When a medical provider’s negligence seriously injures the patient, the victim is entitled to compensation.

To determine whether the doctor fell below the required standard, courts and juries will ask whether a reasonable physician with similar training could have properly diagnosed the condition using the same information available. If a similarly-situated doctor could have reached the proper diagnosis based on the same lab results, blood work, or physical exam, the victim may have a claim for medical malpractice. The injured patient is entitled to compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

If you were injured by the wrong medical diagnosis, the experienced Maine misdiagnosis lawyers at Peter Thompson & Associates can help. Whether you or a family member were harmed by the misdiagnosis of a common infection or terminal illness, we can help you file a medical malpractice claim. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. At Peter Thompson & Associates, we understand that a misdiagnosis is more than a medical mistake. The wrong diagnosis or treatment can seriously compromise your health and even lead to death. That is why we are absolutely dedicated to helping you recover the legal compensation you deserve. for a free consultation, call 800.804.2004 or contact us online.