When a Missed Diagnosis Leads to Serious Harm: Your Rights In A Maryland Medical Malpractice Claim
When you visit a doctor, you trust they’ll identify what’s wrong and start treatment right away. But what happens when they miss a diagnosis or delay it until it’s too late? In Maryland, diagnostic errors are a leading cause of medical malpractice claims and can lead to severe injury or even wrongful death.
Our Maryland medical malpractice attorneys offer caring support and comprehensive legal representation to clients in these cases. Here’s what patients and families need to know about missed diagnoses and how to protect their rights.
Common Reasons for Missed or Delayed Diagnoses in Maryland
According to Johns Hopkins University, close to 800,000 people lose their lives each year due to diagnostic errors. Millions of other patients suffer potentially life-threatening complications as a result of a medical provider misdiagnosing their condition. Vascular events, such as heart attacks, cancers, and infections, are known as the Big Three and account for nearly 75 percent of serious harms.
A missed diagnosis doesn’t always mean a doctor was negligent. However, when medical professionals fail to meet accepted standards of care, patients often suffer the consequences. Common causes of missed or delayed diagnoses in Maryland medical malpractice claims include:
- Failure to order necessary tests or misreading results.
- Ignoring patient symptoms or dismissing complaints.
- Inadequate communication between healthcare providers.
- Rushed appointments and overbooked schedules.
- Reliance on incomplete medical histories.
When these errors delay treatment for cancer, heart disease, infections, strokes, or other serious conditions, the results can be life-altering.
What to Do If You Suspect a Misdiagnosis
Patients who are misdiagnosed by medical providers can suffer serious harm, and both they and their loved ones are often left paying the price. Fortunately, you do have the right to hold them accountable.
Under Maryland medical malpractice laws, doctors, surgeons, diagnostic technicians, or others may be liable when their negligence causes patients to suffer serious harm. If you suspect that either yourself or a loved one was the victim of a missed diagnosis, taking the following steps can help protect your rights to compensation:
- Request your full medical records, which you’re legally entitled to.
- Document your symptoms, treatments, and timelines.
- Seek a second opinion from another specialist to confirm the correct diagnosis.
- Avoid signing any releases or settlements without getting legal help first.
A medical misdiagnosis can impact every area of your life, now and in years to come. To hold those at fault accountable and get the total amount you need to recover, contact an experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorneys.
To Hold Negligent Providers Accountable, Contact Our Experienced Maryland Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today
At Berman Sobin Gross LLP, we represent Maryland patients who were harmed by missed or delayed diagnoses. Our team investigates medical records, works with trusted experts, and holds negligent providers accountable.
If you suspect your doctor’s error caused serious injury or delayed treatment, reach out to our office right away. For trusted, experienced legal representation, request a consultation with our Maryland medical malpractice attorneys today.
Sources:
hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2023/10/a-better-measure-of-medical-error
mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/laws/StatuteText?article=gcj§ion=3-2A-02&enactments=False&archived=False
