When you or your loved one suffer from misdiagnosis, it can have destructive results. It can cause severe harm to people’s health. Around 40,000 people entering the intensive care unit, risk misdiagnosis that could cost them their lives.

To avoid such situations it is important to learn about what is misdiagnosis and the process to pursue compensation. The surveys show that around 12 million people are misdiagnosed and become the victim of the wrong treatment every year in the United States. In addition, to which, the patients also have to pay a heavy price for medical bills.

If you have been in such a situation and suffered a loss due to the carelessness of a healthcare provider, you hold the right to pursue compensation. You simply need to know the right procedure.

In this post, we have mentioned the possible reasons that may lead to misdiagnosis, and ways to claim compensation for the same. To know more, keep reading.

What are the causes of medical misdiagnosis?

 As already mentioned, a number of patients suffer due to wrong or delayed diagnosis. But did you know that if a doctor gives diagnoses that deviate from the medical standard of health care, you can make a claim?

Usually, these situations occur because of the healthcare practitioners who

  • Do not carry out proper screening for the diseases or illness
  • Fail to conceive the lab results correctly
  • Do not refer patients to specialists
  • Fail to explain the symptoms of the illness to the patient
  • Do not take follow-ups with patients and their medications, lab results etc.
  • Failed to take out the medical implant from the patient’s body

These are some of the causes that can make you a victim of medical malpractice. Notably, sometimes a misdiagnosis can also be caused by the medical technologist working in the medical lab or radiology centre. Any kind of error in the tests or in the interpretation of the results comes under medical misdiagnosis.

After you have discovered that the doctor or the concerned person from the healthcare system has deviated from the standard medical care, you can make a claim for compensation. For this, you need to

Get in touch with the medical licensing board: Licensing board is a body that regulates medical licenses. They can issue warnings to the practitioner and supply you with the next process.

Consider the time limit: The civil claims have time limits. Therefore, consider the statutes of limitations that are required to file your claim. It is important to know about the statutes of limitation in your state to get back your money for medical malpractice.

Medical Assessment:  Get a medical assessment, as the patients are required to file a “certificate of merit” before initiating the case. For this, you need to consult another physician. He/she will look into your medical records and certify that you have been misdiagnosed by the original health practitioner. A Baltimore Bankruptcy Lawyer suggests that this is the time when you need an attorney to file this certificate of merit. This confirms that your action has merit.

Out-of-Court Settlement: These cases can be very costly and will be very time-consuming. Therefore, we suggest you settle the case in your best interest. However, if you have a strong case, then you may need a larger settlement.

Now you know about the process and what to do about the doctor’s negligence. However, this is impossible to handle on your own. The healthcare system pays thousands of dollars every year for malpractice insurance. Therefore, it is important to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to handle your malpractice claim.