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Massachusetts Failure To Diagnose Lawyers

Helping Those Injured by Medical Professionals in Massachusetts

Realizing that your healthcare provider failed to diagnose your medical condition in an appropriate and timely manner is devastating. As a victim, you often begin to wonder what your outcome would be had the healthcare provider rendered appropriate care and whether you have a claim for legal damages against the healthcare provider. Our Massachusetts failure to diagnose lawyers are available to represent injury victims who have suffered harm as the result of a healthcare provider’s inability to identify their patient’s condition..

Key Summary

  • Doctors may unfortunately fail to diagnose various conditions, including cancer, heart disease, infections, diabetes, and more.
  • Inadequate patient history, communication breakdown, misinterpretation of test data, and healthcare system difficulties all lead to missed diagnoses.
  • In a medical malpractice claim, proving the defendant’s deviation from the standard of care and its direct role in causing injuries is crucial. 
  • The legal process involves consultation, evidence gathering, notification of intent, tribunal review, filing the lawsuit, discovery, settlement negotiations, trial, appeals, and collecting damages.
  • Victims may be entitled to various damages, including medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. 
  • Massachusetts imposes a three-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice, with exceptions like the discovery rule for delayed awareness and extended timelines for minor patients.

What is Failure to Diagnose?

One of the primary reasons that we seek medical care is to diagnose health problems that we are experiencing so that we can receive treatment to reduce or mitigate the impact of the condition. Although there are some situations where a patient’s symptoms are so diverse that identifying the underlying condition or cause is challenging for any medical professional, there are many situations where a doctor should have been able to make a timely and accurate diagnosis. 

In these situations, the doctor may be liable to the patient for the damages that result from failure to make a diagnosis. Medical professionals undergo specific training on how to make a diagnosis. This often involves considering the list of symptoms and ordering tests to rule out possible diagnoses. The types of symptoms that a patient is experiencing along with relevant aspects of his or her health history are what inform the doctor’s decision about which tests to perform. 

Even if a patient in Massachusetts is not experiencing any current health problems, there are some routine screenings that doctors should perform based on a patient’s age, health history, family history, occupation, and more. Proper screenings can identify serious medical conditions and allow ample time for treatment. If a doctor fails to order testing related to your symptoms or fails to perform basic screenings, the diagnosis may be too late for the treatment to be effective.

What are the Common Conditions Doctors Fail to Diagnose?

Doctors may, unfortunately, fail to diagnose various medical conditions, leading to delayed or missed treatment. Some common conditions that are occasionally misdiagnosed or overlooked include:

  • Cancer
  • Heart Disease
  • Infections
  • Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Thyroid Disorders
  • Mental Health Conditions
  • Autoimmune Diseases
  • Gastrointestinal Disorders
  • Lyme Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Endometriosis
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Rare Diseases

If there are concerns about a potential misdiagnosis, consulting with a medical professional or specialist can help ensure accurate and timely identification of underlying health conditions.

What Causes Most Failure To Diagnose Cases in Massachusetts?

Failure to diagnose instances has several causes. Complex medical disorders require careful examination, adequate testing, and prompt symptom analysis for accurate diagnosis. Here are some common Massachusetts case diagnosis failures:

  • Insufficient Patient History: Doctors may miss important patient history information that could help them diagnose.
  • Communication Breakdown: Poor communication between healthcare professionals or between providers and patients can lead to omitted information.
  • Misinterpretation of Test Results: Laboratory tests, imaging tests, and other diagnostic procedures might be misinterpreted, resulting in missed diagnosis.
  • Lack of Follow-up: Failure to follow up on test results or to monitor a patient’s condition over time can contribute to delayed or missed diagnoses.
  • Inadequate Physical Examination: Rushing or incomplete physical exams may miss significant clinical signs and symptoms.
  • Physician Fatigue or Burnout: Overworked healthcare professionals may make more mistakes, including misdiagnoses.
  • Diagnostic Bias: Healthcare providers may focus on one diagnosis and ignore others due to preconceived assumptions or prejudices.
  • Inadequate Training or Knowledge: Lack of medical condition knowledge or symptom interpretation training might lead to diagnostic errors.
  • Systemic Issues: Diagnostic failures can result from systemic issues like understaffing, inefficient processes, and lack of resources.
  • Patient Factors: Patient concerns include insufficient symptom disclosure, non-compliance with medical advice, and inability to follow up on recommended tests can also complicate diagnosis.
  • Complex Cases: Some medical conditions present with atypical or vague symptoms, making diagnosis more challenging. In such cases, healthcare providers need to be particularly vigilant.
  • Emerging or Rare Conditions: Healthcare providers may not be familiar with newly emerging diseases or rare conditions, leading to delays in diagnosis.

Establishing Your Right to Compensation

In a medical malpractice claim, the plaintiff must show that the defendant’s level of care fell below the standard of care accepted in the local medical community and under the training and specialties that the doctor may have earned. This means that if your doctor is a board-certified specialist practicing in Boston, the standard of care that he or she must provide you is measured by the care that a reasonable and prudent board-certified specialist would have rendered when treating a patient with similar symptoms and health history. Establishing the level of care that you are owed can be difficult in a medical malpractice claim, which is why speaking with a knowledgeable medical malpractice lawyer is so critical.

You must also show that the defendant’s failure to use the appropriate standard of care in diagnosing your condition was the direct and foreseeable cause of the injuries that you sustained. This means that if the defendant can point to some other factor as the primary cause of your injury, or show that a timely diagnosis would not have changed the outcome, then you may be barred from recovering compensation. 

Most patients asserting claims for failure to diagnose must work with medical experts to advise on their claim and have them testify on their behalf about the standard of care and whether this failure was the direct cause of his or her injuries.

A successful plaintiff can recover damages for several things including past and future estimated medical costs, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

How to File a Massachusetts Failure to Diagnose Lawsuit?

Massachusetts medical malpractice lawsuits, including failure to diagnose cases, require multiple processes. This material is a broad guide, therefore visit our Massachusetts failure to diagnose lawyers for precise counsel. A brief process outline:

  • Consultation with an Attorney

Find an experienced Massachusetts failure to diagnose attorney. Schedule a consultation to discuss the details of your situation.

  • Gather Evidence

Collect medical records, test reports, and other case evidence with your attorney. This may include expert opinions on whether the healthcare provider departed from the standard of treatment.

  • Notification of Intent

Massachusetts law requires 182 days’ notice of intent to the healthcare provider before initiating a lawsuit. This notice describes the claim and gives the defendant a chance to settle before suing.

  • Review by a Medical Malpractice Tribunal

Massachusetts medical malpractice lawsuits are heard by tribunals. A judge, lawyer, and healthcare professional evaluate the evidence to decide whether to file the lawsuit.

  • Filing the Lawsuit

You can sue within 90 days if the tribunal finds the matter meritorious. Your attorney will draft the complaint, which details your claim.

  • Discovery

Both parties exchange information and evidence through the discovery process. This may include depositions, interrogatories, and requests for documents.

  • Settlement Negotiations

Your attorney may negotiate a settlement with the defendant’s lawyers. Medical malpractice claims often settle before trial.

  • Trial

If not settled, the case goes to trial. Both parties present their evidence, witnesses are cross-examined, and the judge or jury chooses the verdict.

  • Appeals

Either party may appeal the court’s decision if they believe there was a legal error during the trial.

  • Collecting Damages

If you win your case, your attorney will work to collect the awarded damages from the defendant.

What Types of Damages are Available To Failure To Diagnose Victims?

Compensation for medical negligence-related losses and injuries may include damages for failure to diagnose. Possible damages depend on the case. In Massachusetts, failure to diagnose damages may include:

  • Medical bills
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Lost wages
  • Future medical expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium
  • Wrongful death
  • Legal Fees and Costs
  • Punitive damages

Always remember that each case is unique and that the facts and circumstances will decide the damages awarded. Our medical malpractice lawyer can help you decide how to proceed and seek justice for your suffering due to a missed diagnosis.

How Long Do I Have To File a Failure To Diagnose Claim?

You have a statute of limitations to file a failure to diagnose claim. Legal action must be started within the statute of limitations.

Medical malpractice, including failure to diagnose, has a three years statute of limitations in Massachusetts. The “cause of action” is the negligent act or omission date. Exceptions and nuances should be considered:

  • Discovery Rule: Massachusetts’ “discovery rule.” applies when a patient does not immediately notice an injury or medical malpractice. This rule begins the statute of limitations when the patient discovers or should have found the harm.
  • Cases involving minors If a minor is under the full age of six years shall have until his ninth birthday in which the action may be commenced, but in no event shall any such action be commenced more than seven years after occurrence of the act or omission which is the alleged cause of the injury upon which such action is based upon leaving of a foreign object in the body.

Be mindful of these time limits and move quickly if you believe you have a failure to diagnose claim. You may lose your legal rights if you fail to file on time.

Why Do I Need Failure To Diagnose Lawyers in Massachusetts?

The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein & Affiliates P.C. believes that all victims of medical malpractice deserve to be heard. With over 25 years of experience handling a wide range of legal cases, our legal team can assist you in handling even the most difficult cases.

Our Massachusetts failure to diagnose lawyers is committed to: 

  • Help you determine if you have a valid claim 
  • Build a strong case on your behalf
  • Gather evidence and review your medical records 
  • Consult medical specialists to support your claim
  • Determine the accurate cost for your injury
  • Ensure maximum and fair settlement 
  • Represent you in court if needed 

While healthcare providers strive to provide accurate and timely diagnoses, errors can occur. If you believe you or a loved one has experienced harm due to a failure to diagnose, consulting with our Massachusetts failure to diagnose lawyers can help assess the specific circumstances of your case.

Meet With a Compassionate Medical Malpractice Attorney in Massachusetts

At the Law Offices of Barry Feinstein and Affiliates P.C., we have seen all too often how frequently doctors can fail to make an appropriate and timely diagnosis for a patient. This tragic situation can lead to a permanent and painful outcome for the patient. Although no amount of money can make you whole again, discussing your case with an attorney can help you deal with the financial impact of the missed diagnosis so that your family can focus on grieving and dealing with the outcome. 

If you or someone you know needs legal support and guidance involving Car Accidents, Birth Injuries, Workers’ Compensation, Nursing Home Negligence, Boat Accidents, and more, our team is always ready to help. 

We are available to serve clients in areas around Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Quincy, Dedham, Norwood, Brookline, and Peabody. Call our office today or contact us online to schedule your free and confidential consultation.

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