Misdiagnosis & Failure to Diagnose Attorneys in Hawaii
Improper Diagnosis Can Be a Form of Medical Malpractice
When you are not feeling well, you go to the doctor expecting an explanation about what is happening to you and the appropriate treatment to make you feel better. But sometimes, doctors make diagnostic mistakes. When these mistakes are due to negligence or carelessness and they lead to further health complications, you have a right to pursue legal action.
At Davis Levin Livingston, we assist clients in pursuing medical malpractice claims against healthcare providers that fail in their duty to their patients. Failure to diagnose an illness or disease can have catastrophic results and can even lead to death. You deserve the opportunity to have your voice heard by the Hawaii courts and to get compensation for what was done to you.
Discuss your case with a Hawaii misdiagnosis attorney from our firm today; call (808) 740-0633 for a free consultation.
Key Differences Between Misdiagnosis & Delayed Diagnosis
While these terms are often used interchangeably, they actually represent very different types of medical malpractice.
- Misdiagnosis means that your doctor diagnosed you with the wrong illness and possibly subjected you to incorrect treatment or unnecessary procedures.
- Delayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose means that your doctor didn't provide a diagnosis in a timely fashion, letting your illness worsen, sometimes past the point of treatability.
Reasons for Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose
The specific reason for misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose can vary widely from situation to situation. Your doctor may be under a lot of stress and didn't notice the signs of your illness, they may not have believed that your situation warranted further examination, or maybe your doctor is just careless.
No matter the reason, when a doctor misdiagnoses or delays diagnosing a patient, it is always important to look further into the circumstances surrounding the failure. If it is discovered that the doctor was not doing his or her job correctly, you have a right to pursue damages for this mistake.
Misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a medical issue can result from:
- Ordering the wrong tests
- Misreading medical tests
- Misreading X-rays
- Failing to order medical tests
- Ignoring symptoms
Signs Your Doctor Got Something Wrong
Without a qualified medical opinion, it is often very difficult to tell if your doctor made a mistake in your diagnosis. However, there are a few things you can look for that may tell you something is wrong:
- No improvement from the treatment your doctor prescribed
- The current treatment protocol is leaving you feeling worse than you were before
- Your doctor seems uncertain when he or she talks to you about diagnosis or treatment
- Your doctor is dismissive of your description of your symptoms
These and other questions can help reveal if you are not receiving the proper diagnosis, treatment, and care that you need.
What to Do If You Suspect a Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
Seek a Second Opinion
If you are still feeling unwell following diagnosis and treatment, or you are feeling progressively worse as time goes on, your first step should always be to seek a second opinion. Doctors are human and can make mistakes. It can sometimes take visiting two or three additional doctors to get a satisfactory answer to your questions. There is no shame in seeking another doctor’s opinion when you are worried about your health. If there is any question in your mind, go see another medical professional.
Contact a Misdiagnosis/Failure to Diagnose Attorney
If you or a loved one has been improperly diagnosed by a doctor and it caused suffering or death, please contact our Hawaii misdiagnosis/failure to diagnose lawyers as soon as possible. There is a strong possibility that you can pursue damages against the responsible party.
While a successful case will not take back what happened to you, it can help you pay for further medical care, missed work, and the ability to take care of the needs of your loved ones. A successful case can also help protect other patients from a similar outcome.
Please contact us now at (808) 740-0633 to get started. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case.