Medical Misdiagnosis Claims
Medical Misdiagnosis is just one type of clinical negligence. There are 2 main types of medical misdiagnosis. The first is where a condition is completely undiagnosed, for example, a patient visiting their GP with health problems over a period of time and the GP fails to diagnose the illness.
The second is where an incorrect diagnosis is made, for example a fracture being diagnosed as a sprain or someone being told they have cancer when in fact they don't.
Claiming for medical misdiagnosis
To make a compensation claim for medical misdiagnosis, the treatment you received - or lack of it - has to have caused you further injury, pain or suffering. To find out more, talk to our injury+ medical misdiagnosis specialists.
For example if you suffered a fall and attended hospital where you had an x-ray and were told that you had no broken bones, but then you were contacted the following day by the hospital to advise that they had looked at your x-rays again and discovered a fracture you could only make a claim if the delay in diagnosis had made the fracture worse.
There are many ways that a medical misdiagnosis can present itself. Whether a doctor is at fault, or hospital staff, a misdiagnosis of a serious illness can have very extreme and harmful effects.
Common diseases that are frequently misdiagnosed are:
- Breast Cancer
- Tuberculosis
- Lung Cancer
- Diabetes
- Prostate Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
- Strokes
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Bacterial Meningitis
- Appendicitis
The National Patient Safety Foundation cites that 42% of medical patients feel they have had experienced a medical error or missed diagnosis. Patient safety is sometimes negligently given the back seat for other concerns, such as the cost of medical tests, drugs, and operations.