Medical Misdiagnosis Laws in Massachusetts

When you go to see a doctor or healthcare provider about a medical issue you’re experiencing, you trust that you’ll get an accurate diagnosis. Receiving an inaccurate diagnosis can lead to permanent physical harm, emotional suffering, or even death.

Misdiagnoses are unfortunately quite common, with up to 12 million Americans receiving misdiagnoses each year in the United States.

Sometimes, those misdiagnoses are the result of symptoms that are genuinely difficult to diagnose. Other times, however, patients receive misdiagnoses due to negligence on the part of their health care providers. In those cases, the patient and/or their loved ones may be eligible for compensation under medical misdiagnosis laws in their state.

Misdiagnosis can be a form of medical malpractice and must be treated as such.

What Causes Medical Misdiagnosis?

There are several reasons a doctor or healthcare provider may misdiagnose a patient that fall under medical practice.

One cause of medical misdiagnosis is not referring patients to specialists when they need them. If a patient goes to see an eye doctor and that doctor discovers a heart problem but does not refer the patient to a cardiologist, that can lead to medical misdiagnosis.

Healthcare providers should only try to treat patients for issues within their practice areas to avoid malpractice and poor patient outcomes.

Another potential cause of medical misdiagnosis is not getting a complete patient. Doctors need a complete picture of each patient’s medical background and history in order to offer accurate diagnoses. If they don’t get all the necessary information from the client, they may offer an inaccurate diagnosis.

Finally, one of the most common causes of medical misdiagnosis is not spending enough time with each patient. When healthcare providers rush through their appointments, they may not miss vital symptoms and fail to address patient concerns completely, leading to misdiagnosis.

Consult an Experienced Attorney

If you or a loved one suffered as a result of medical misdiagnosis, an experienced lawyer may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Your medical malpractice attorneys can help by thoroughly investigating your case, determining how much compensation you’re entitled to, communicating with insurance companies for you, and answering all of your questions about the litigation process.

Between the care we show our clients and our strong litigation skills, there’s no better choice than Sbrogna, Brunelle & Donius, LLP.

Contact us today for a free consultation about your case: 508-809-7555