If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

Alleged missed diagnosis leads to lawsuit in Illinois

by | Dec 30, 2016 | Uncategorized

Illinois residents who are having a health problem have enough to think about without wondering whether the diagnosis and treatment — or lack thereof – that they received was accurate. Unfortunately, there are far too many instances in which there is a missed diagnosis that leads to a patient growing worse than he or she otherwise would have been had the diagnosis and treatment plan been accurate. In some instances, there will be a death and the family will need to come to grips with the loss of a loved one. Those who are affected by this form of mistake have the right to consider a medical malpractice lawsuit to be compensated.

Recently, a couple filed a case against an Illinois hospital because the wife was misdiagnosed. She had a mass in her neck and alleges that the doctors were negligent in caring for her. The plaintiffs state that the mass was removed from her neck in 2012. They say that the tissue was evaluated and she did not receive the proper treatment. In 2015, she was found to have what is known as abnormal squamous proliferation. This is dangerous as the cells can be cancerous. They are seeking more than $50,000 in compensation.

The key to a person receiving effective treatment is the right diagnosis. There can be a greater chance at a positive outcome the earlier the problem is accurately diagnosed. When there is a mistake, it can lead to a worsening of the medical issue, making it necessary to have more aggressive treatment, and can lead to unnecessary medical costs. It can even result in the person dying when it could have been avoided.

Those who were misdiagnosed are often not even aware of the reality that their worsening condition could be the result, in-part, of a negligent doctor. If a patient or their family believes that a medical professional made a mistake, it is imperative that a full investigation be conducted.

In this case, a woman received what she and her husband claim was a wrong diagnosis of a mass in her neck. Because the issue she had is often a precursor for cancer, the error could have led to her death. Those who are facing a similar problem, or believe that they might have been victimized by medical malpractice, should discuss the matter with an experienced attorney to consider moving forward with litigation.

Source: patch.com, “Woman Suing Elmhurst Memorial for Misdiagnosis of Neck Mass,” Anicka Slachta, Dec. 24, 2016

Archives

FindLaw Network