Baltimore Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyer
Misdiagnosis typically refers to a medical professional’s failure to adhere to the applicable standard of care. Misdiagnosis is when a medical professional has improperly diagnosed a patient and is considered a medical malpractice when the medical professional fails to perform the same testing and procedures that a typical doctor would in that same position. A Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer can help somebody clarify whether or not they have been a victim and advise on what steps to take next for building a case for the courtroom.
Mistakes vs. Medical Malpractice
Mistakes typically do not rise to the level of medical malpractice. A mistake is often where a healthcare professional does everything he or she could do or should do in that particular circumstance but for whatever reason is unable to properly diagnose the patient.
Medical malpractice is different in that the medical professional deviates from what he or she should do in that particular circumstance and does something other than apply the standard of care a typical healthcare professional would do in the same instance.
Instances of Medical Misdiagnosis in Baltimore
In Baltimore, misdiagnosis happens in any number of ways. Typically, a patient will present to the healthcare professional with a certain set of symptoms or complaints and instead of performing a test any other healthcare professional would do in order to diagnose the issue, the healthcare professional deviates from that standard of care and fails to perform the testing or performs testing that is not applicable to that set of symptoms.
The form of misdiagnosis depends on the specific set of circumstances that the patient presents to the healthcare professional. However, the misdiagnosis occurs when the healthcare professional is aware of the symptoms that brought the patient into his/her office and instead of performing the normal or usual tests that any other healthcare professional have deemed necessary. Someone who is unsure if their case qualifies as misdiagnosis should speak with an experienced Baltimore medical misdiagnosis attorney as soon as possible. The attorney will try to understand the circumstances of the case before providing a person with legal advice.
Uniqueness of Medical Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis cases are unique in that patients usually know the proper diagnosis that should have been made at the time they presented their symptoms to the medical professional. In a misdiagnosis case, there is usually no need to investigate the current condition of the patient because that condition has now become known through a subsequent diagnosis. As such, misdiagnosis cases allow the patient to understand their conditions and work towards getting better.
Initial Questions for Clients to Answer
As with any medical malpractice cases, we try to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the claim. Thus, the first questions that we ask when we meet with a client depend on the nature of the claim. When we meet with someone regarding a potential misdiagnosis case, we usually begin with getting an understanding as to why the patient believes that he/she was the victim of a misdiagnosis and also try to get an understanding as to the basis for the client’s opinion.
Typically, a misdiagnosis becomes known when the patient either has significant medical repercussions from the misdiagnosis or when they seek a second opinion, which provides a diagnosis that relates back to the initial symptomology.
The typical way medical misdiagnosis claims in Baltimore are presented are when the patient has learned they have either cancer or some other malady that was simply missed or not discovered by their previous doctor and they know now that the symptoms should have cause the medical professional to reach a different medical diagnosis.
Understanding the Case Process
People should understand that medical misdiagnosis cases in Baltimore are very difficult and complex to pursue. They should understand that these cases require the use of an expert witness, which can be difficult and costly to obtain. They also should understand that there are a number of administrative procedures that must be followed in order to properly present the claim. If the injured person fails to adhere to the procedures, the claim can be dismissed on a technicality regardless of the malpractice. People should also know that medical misdiagnosis claims are often the most sophisticated civil claims presented to any court and that they should obtain the services of an experienced Baltimore medical misdiagnosis attorney to assist them.
Avoiding Mistakes in Misdiagnosis Claims
The most common mistake that a person makes when medical misdiagnosis occurs is that they fail to seek a second opinion regarding their diagnosis. Often, the failure to seek a second opinion is compounded by the patient’s failure to take any additional actions regarding their condition.
If a person is unhappy with the diagnosis or treatment by a physician, that person should seek a second opinion. A second opinion is crucial in either confirming the diagnosis/treatment or it will provide the real cause of the symptomology. It is far too dangerous to simply wait and see what happens when in the back of their mind they know that they should be doing something else for recovery.
The harm in a misdiagnosis case is that the person is not obtaining the best course of treatment for their issue. When a misdiagnosis occurs, the sickness or malady of the patient simply gets worse because the patient is not receiving the care that he/she should have received earlier.