The misdiagnosis of an injury or illness can be a form of medical malpractice. A misdiagnosis can have serious consequences for you and your family and those responsible for your injuries should be held accountable. Contact an Allentown misdiagnosis lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC today by calling 888-777-7098.

How Can a Misdiagnosis Be a Form of Medical Malpractice?

A medical misdiagnosis can rise to malpractice if the medical professional deviates from the standard of care he or she owes you. A misdiagnosis can occur when an Allentown medical professional:

  • Fails to identify the cause of an injury or illness
  • Under-diagnoses the severity or an injury or illness
  • Diagnosis the incorrect patient
  • Over-diagnosis (provides excessive treatment)

There are other forms of medical misdiagnosis. If you are injured due to a misdiagnosis, find a new and competent medical professional who can help get you on a proper treatment plan as quickly as possible. You will also want to keep thorough records of any appointments or communications you have had with your medical professional.

Generally, in order to prove that a misdiagnosis occurred, our legal team will work with one of our medical experts who specializes in the relevant area. The medical professional who caused your injury, their employer and their insurance company will each have their own legal and medical professionals working to disprove your claim. Therefore, it is extremely important to have an experienced Allentown misdiagnosis lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC working for you.

How Common are Misdiagnoses in Allentown?

A misdiagnosis can occur when the medical professional is incompetent, overworked and/or not properly supported. For example, a medical professional should not diagnose an illness outside of the scope of his or her practice. A dermatologist should not be making a diagnosis related to the heart and a cardiologist should not be making diagnoses about skin conditions.

Most misdiagnosis cases are preventable. A leading cause of misdiagnosis medical malpractice in Allentown occurs due to a breakdown in communication between medical professionals. An incomplete or inaccurate patient chart, for example, can lead to a patient being improperly diagnosed. Each year, poor handwriting leads to thousands of cases of misdiagnosis.

Medical teams should have processes in place to ensure that patients are properly cared for. This includes having processes in place to ensure that critical patient care information is properly disseminated. The lawyers at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC have worked with medical malpractice victims and know what to look for when reviewing a misdiagnosis claim.

Why is It Important to Have a Lawyer Involved in a Misdiagnosis Claim?

Medical malpractice claims – including misdiagnosis claims – can be incredibly complicated and complex. Medical professionals, hospitals and insurance companies will all work extremely hard to reduce their liability for your injuries. This is why it is so important to have an experienced legal team fighting for your rights.

Please contact an Allentown misdiagnosis lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC today at 888-777-7098 if you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to a misdiagnosis in Allentown or elsewhere throughout the state. You should never suffer because of the incompetence or negligence of another. We look forward to working for you.