Hudson Valley residents rely on the special training and experience of doctors and medical professionals to provide the proper diagnosis and treatment of a condition. Doctors are expected to not only listen to your complaints and concerns, but also fully address these concerns by conducting tests, examinations, biopsies, and thereafter providing appropriate treatment.

While even the most diligent doctor may miss a diagnosis or misdiagnose a condition or disease, a failure to follow accepted medical standards and practices may be grounds to file a medical malpractice action for delayed diagnosis.

Failure to diagnose lawsuits are factually complex cases that require a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances surrounding a delayed diagnosis. Contact a Hudson Valley delayed diagnosis lawyer today if you believe your doctor made a delayed diagnosis that subsequently caused you injury or damages. A compassionate medical malpractice attorney could assess your case and help you get the compensation you deserve.

Potential Impact of a Delayed Diagnosis

One of a doctor’s primary responsibilities is to carefully assess patients and listen to their concerns and to then diagnose any dangerous diseases or conditions. When a doctor is trying to reach a diagnosis, they might conduct diagnostic tests, refer a patient to another health care provider, or even consult with another doctor or specialist.

For example, a person goes to the doctor complaining that they are having problems breathing. After the doctor examines the patient, they recommend a course of antibiotics and do not conduct any further tests. After several months, the patient is still having trouble breathing and goes to another doctor, who conducts tests and determines that the patient has a tumor pressing on their lungs. In this case, the original doctor’s delayed diagnosis may constitute medical malpractice.

Early Detection Is Key to Health

Many medical conditions have drastically improved prognoses if they are detected early. When a disease or condition is detected in its earliest stages, a condition is often treatable by less invasive surgery and less drastic medications and also alerts medical professionals to monitor a patient for any adverse signs and complications.

Some of the most common delayed diagnosed conditions include:

  • Stroke
  • Heart attack
  • Herniated disc
  • Cardiac infection
  • Cancer of the breast, lung, skin, or prostate
  • Staph infections
  • Meningitis

Working with Medical Professionals to Prove a Delayed Diagnosis

When someone believes they suffered injury because their doctor made a delayed diagnosis, they must prove all of the elements of medical or hospital malpractice—namely, a duty, breach, damages, and causation—in order to receive compensation.

However, in addition to these elements, a person injured in a delayed diagnosis case will need to present testimony from a medical expert asserting their injury would not have happened were it not for the doctor’s negligence.

Specifically, New York Civil Practice Law § 3012-A (2012) requires a person to file a certificate of merit in which a doctor attest that another doctor’s care fell below the accepted standard of care expected of a doctor in the field. A Hudson Valley dedicated delayed diagnosis lawyer could help an injured person prove negligence.

How a Hudson Valley Delayed Diagnosis Attorney Could Help

An experienced Hudson Valley delayed diagnosis lawyer could work closely with medical experts to determine whether a patient has a claim, and furthermore whether their claim meets all the statutory requirements for filing a lawsuit.

If a doctor’s negligence and delayed diagnosis caused injury to you or a loved one, do not wait to contact a delayed diagnosis lawyer in Hudson Valley. With the knowledge and experience of an attorney, you may be able to recover compensation to cover medical expenses, surgeries, rehabilitation, lost wages, and pain and suffering.