A doctor’s accurate and timely diagnosis of a patient’s condition is vital to the patient’s future health. Specific injuries and illnesses such as traumatic brain injuries and cancers can worsen over time if appropriate treatment does not begin promptly. A diagnosis delay may significantly reduce the patient’s opportunity to make a full recovery from their ailment or cost the patient their life.
Medical professionals who allow an unreasonable amount of time to pass before making a diagnosis may be liable for an injured patient’s damages. While the harm following a delayed diagnosis may be irreparable, injured medical malpractice victims may find monetary damages helpful in securing their financial futures by working with an experienced medical malpractice attorney. A St. Augustine delayed diagnosis lawyer might be an asset for patients attempting to get justice and compensation for their suffering.
Consequences of an Unreasonable Diagnosis Time
Doctors, surgeons, and others in the medical field tasked with diagnosing patients’ conditions with reasonable accuracy and expedience. In some cases, doctors must take time to consider the patient’s signs and symptoms or consult with other industry professionals or specialists before making a diagnosis. However, unreasonable delays may harm their patients and their family.
Determining whether a doctor’s time to diagnosis is unreasonable requires considering several factors:
- The severity of the patient’s condition and need for an immediate diagnosis
- The availability of imagining equipment, blood tests, and other diagnostic tools
- The medical professional’s workload and severity of their other patients’ conditions
- How apparent the patient’s symptoms are
- The doctor’s experience and need to consult with others before making a diagnosis
St. Augustine attorneys who work with delayed diagnosis cases may have the necessary resources to help injured patients make a claim for compensation or file a lawsuit.
Available Compensation Following a Diagnosis Delay in St. Augustine
Plaintiffs seeking compensation for a delayed diagnosis error may receive damages for any additional medical expenditures or procedures they needed as a result of the delay. Also, if the plaintiff missed work and did not receive their pay as a result of the error, they may receive compensation for these lost wages. Additionally, the pain, suffering, and trauma the victim experienced may also be a compensable loss.
Those harmed by delayed diagnoses may also be eligible to recover compensation if the delay reduced their chances of survival in extreme cases. For the plaintiff to be able to recover these damages, the medical professional’s delay must have made it less likely for the plaintiff to recover, heal, or live through their condition.
Speaking with a St. Augustine attorney is crucial because injured patients risk failing to pursue the full amount of compensation that may be available to them. Plaintiffs who review their case with an experienced attorney may avoid failing to seek sufficient damages through their lawsuits.
Talk to a St. Augustine Delayed Diagnosis Attorney About Your Case
You may be facing significant physical and financial complications as a result of your doctor’s conduct. You may have had to undergo additional testing or treatment or face uncertainty over whether your condition has progressed too far for a full recovery to take place. Your St. Augustine delayed diagnosis lawyer could assist you in seeking financial compensation for injuries, losses, and expenses you sustained as a result of your doctor’s unreasonable delay in diagnosing you. Call today to start seeking justice in your case.
