(845) 802-0047Patients rely on their radiologists when faced with potentially life-changing health issues. If a radiologist does not correctly identify their patient’s health problem, their error could mean the patient gets the wrong treatment or no treatment at all.
If you did not get the treatment you needed because your radiologist misdiagnosed you, call an Albany radiology error lawyer now. A dedicated medical malpractice attorney could help you find out if you are entitled to financial compensation for your medical expenses and other damages.
Defining Radiology Malpractice
Radiologists and radiology technicians are medical professionals with a duty to provide adequate care for their patients. Like all medical care providers, radiologists have to comply with professional standards of care designed to protect their patients. When a radiologist fails to comply with these standards of care, and their patients suffer injury or illness, they have committed malpractice.
This negligence often takes the form of a radiology error. Patients depend on their radiologist to detect abnormalities in an accurate and timely manner. If a radiologist makes a preventable error or otherwise acts negligently, they can be held liable for the harm their patient suffers.
An Albany radiology error attorney could help a person injured from malpractice seek compensation in court for their damages. Typically, individuals pursue compensation for their medical costs (including those for any unnecessary treatment they received due to the error), other financial losses, and pain and suffering.
Examples of Radiology Errors
Radiologists interpret diagnostic images produced from ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, and X-rays. With these tools, a radiologist can determine whether a patient has an internal injury, a dangerous illness, or other risky abnormalities.
Radiologists are highly trained, and their opinion of a diagnostic image will determine the course of treatment a patient undergoes. Unfortunately, radiologists can and do make mistakes that end up harming their patients.
Such radiology errors are common occurrences even with advanced diagnostic equipment. These errors can delay treatment for a patient or even lead to a misdiagnosis.
How Can Radiology Errors Happen?
Some common examples of radiology errors include:
- Failure to identify an internal injury
- Failure to identify other abnormalities, such as cancerous cells
- Failure to properly conduct a diagnostic imaging test
- Failure to communicate tests results to a patient’s other doctors
- Misinterpretation of a diagnostic image
- Misdiagnosis
Can Radiology Errors be Deadly?
Radiology errors can prove fatal when a patient’s treatment is delayed due to misdiagnosis. In many of these cases, the radiologist failed to detect cancer or severe internal injuries in time to properly treat them.
A common example of a fatal radiology error occurs when a radiologist fails to identify signs of a hemorrhagic stroke. If left undiagnosed and untreated, strokes can quickly become fatal.
When a fatal radiology error occurs, the deceased’s surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit. An Albany radiology error attorney could then help families pursue justice for their loved one and themselves in court.
Albany Radiology Error Attorneys Could Help
If you suffered injury from a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis, you could be entitled to compensation. Furthermore, if you had to pay for unnecessary treatment after an incorrect diagnostic imaging test, you may be able to pursue additional restitution in court. Call an Albany radiology error lawyer today to explore your options.