Cleveland Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyer
Our Ohio law firm can help with your injury claim due to a wrong diagnosis
We trust doctors and other medical professionals to correctly diagnose a serious illness, injury or another medical issue. That’s because the stakes are high if a healthcare professional makes a mistake and misdiagnoses someone’s medical condition.
Unfortunately, medical professionals sometimes misdiagnose serious illnesses, injuries and other, sometimes potentially life-threatening medical conditions. When this happens, that’s often due to negligence, which constitutes medical malpractice.
Knowing what to do in such situations can be confusing. Even knowing what your rights are might not be clear. Fortunately, you’re not alone. We can help. At The Lancione Law Firm near Cleveland, we have been fighting for the rights of injury victims and their families for decades.
Award-wining, Ohio medical malpractice attorney John A. Lancione has a well-earned reputation for his skilled handling of medical negligence claims throughout the country. He consistently obtains sizable settlements and verdicts – more than $350 million and counting – including one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Ohio. Case results matter here.
Why do misdiagnosis errors happen?
Diagnostic errors often occur for one of the following reasons:
- Doctor fails to follow standard medical procedures for diagnosing an illness or injury.
- Doctor does not listen to patient explain their symptoms.
- Doctor fails to order medically indicated tests.
- Doctor misreads test results or medical chart.
- Inexperienced physician mistakenly diagnoses the wrong illness or injury.
Whatever the reason for your misdiagnosis, don’t simply assume there’s nothing you can do. Make sure you fully understand your rights and talk to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible.
What are common misdiagnoses?
Any medical condition can potentially be misdiagnosed, including:
- Cancer
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Appendicitis
- Meningitis
- Disorders that affect the heart such as cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) or idiopathic cardiomyopathy
- Pulmonary embolism and precursor conditions such as deep vein thrombosis
Precious time can be lost when doctors misdiagnose serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Instead of receiving the proper medical treatment, the patient’s condition gets worse. They may also receive treatment for an illness they don’t have, which can lead to further complications and side effects. When this happens, medical professionals need to be held accountable for their actions or negligence.
What is a differential diagnosis?
In layman’s terms, a differential diagnosis is the process by which doctors systematically rule out the most serious, life-threatening conditions and illnesses before proceeding to diagnose a less serious condition. For example, a misdiagnosis caused by failure to conduct a differential diagnosis can occur when a patient shows symptoms of a heart attack and the doctor does not perform the necessary tests and instead diagnoses gastritis or heartburn. Misdiagnosis of a serious illness or other medical condition can have devastating, even fatal results. That’s why we want to help in such situations.
You have rights. Our law firm can fight for them. Contact us
Don’t underestimate the complexity or urgency of your medical malpractice case due to a misdiagnosis. There are strict legal deadlines for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit or taking other legal action. In Ohio, this deadline (known as the statute of limitations) is generally one (1) year from the date of your misdiagnosis, according to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) § 2305.113(B). The deadline can be extended in some circumstances, but only an attorney can tell you if those circumstances apply to your case.
In addition, don’t be surprised if the doctor or another medical professional who made the mistake denies doing anything wrong. That’s why you need our dedicated legal team on your side, standing up for your rights.
Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer John A. Lancione knows how to find the evidence you need to build a successful legal case. Whether it’s carefully reviewing medical records, laboratory test results or other important documents, attorney Lancione will leave no stone unturned in search of the truth.
The path to justice can be long and complicated. Take the first step. Contact The Lancione Law Firm and schedule a free consultation at our Rocky River, Ohio law firm today. You can reach us online or call (440) 331-6100 or (877) 515-4369 to start your legal journey with Ohio medical malpractice attorney John A. Lancione.