Patients trust healthcare providers to address their injuries and illnesses through proper examination and testing. If your doctor does not order the correct tests, your medical condition may not be diagnosed in time, and you may face additional harm as a result.
If a physician or other healthcare professional fails to order or interpret tests pertinent to your condition and you are injured because of their errors, an medical malpractice attorney at our firm could help you take advantage of your legal rights. Let a DC inadequate testing lawyer help you hold negligent medical professional accountable.
When physicians treat patients, they are expected to adhere to the accepted standards of medical care established by other healthcare professionals with similar experience. For instance, every doctor is responsible for ordering blood tests to monitor a patient’s glucose levels, cholesterol, and liver function, as well as X-rays for those with suspected broken bones.
If a physician fails to order blood tests for a patient with diabetes, for example, their condition will go unchecked, leading to organ damage and possible amputation. Failing to order a test in this case is a form of medical malpractice, which is based on the legal theory of negligence. A local attorney could review the details of a patient’s case and work to hold a negligent healthcare provider accountable for their injuries.
Medical tests can offer conclusive proof of what is going on inside a person’s body and detect diseases and conditions that can quickly turn deadly, such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, and tumors. Some essential medical tests include:
If a healthcare provider fails to order or interpret any of these critical tests, one of our attorneys could determine whether they should be liable for malpractice.
The Code of the District of Columbia §16–2802 specifies that all defendants to a medical malpractice lawsuit must be notified of the patient’s intent to sure at least 90 days before their claim is filed.
All parties are also required to attend non-binding mediation before engaging in civil litigation. Notice and mediation are the District’s way of encouraging settlement rather than bogging the judicial system down with lengthy and expensive litigation. An attorney in our area could discuss this complex legal process with anyone thinking about filing a lawsuit for inadequate medical testing.
Under the doctrine of pure contributory negligence, plaintiffs who are found even one percent responsible for their injuries will be barred from recovering any damages whatsoever. For instance, if a physician orders a test critical to a patient’s treatment, but the patient cancels the testing appointment and fails to reschedule it, both parties might be found liable if the doctor fails to follow up and the patient never gets the test until it is too late.
Medical tests are a critical component of a patient’s treatment, as they determine the cause of many illnesses and ailments. It is your right as a patient to receive adequate testing from your physician or healthcare provider. If you explained to your doctor how you feel, and the applicable tests were not ordered while your condition worsened, you should contact a DC inadequate testing lawyer to discuss your situation. Schedule a consultation today.
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