New York Diagnosis Malpractice Attorneys

Advocating for Victims of Delayed & Missed Diagnoses

Saving a life often depends on the early and correct detection of serious health conditions, such as breast cancer, cervical/endometrial cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, appendicitis, heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm. Prompt, proper testing for these conditions in the doctor’s office or hospital emergency room can mean the difference between life and death for the affected patient.

Unfortunately, many patients receive delayed diagnoses or, worse, are never properly diagnosed. In some cases, this could be the result of medical negligence. If you or a loved one suffered harm as a result of a diagnostic error, contact our New York misdiagnosis lawyers at Simonson Goodman Platzer PC. We have decades of legal experience and a proven record of success, having secured more than $200 million for our clients. We are ready to fight for you and your recovery.

Contact us online or call (800) 817-5029 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Click on any topic below to jump to that section on the page:

• How Diagnostic Errors Happen
• What Can Cause a Delayed Diagnosis?
• How Our Firm Can Help

How Diagnostic Errors Happen

Mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, blood tests, MRIs and CAT/CT scans, and electrocardiograms are commonly used by medical professionals to detect serious medical conditions. However, many times, doctors fail to order these tests, even when a patient is exhibiting symptoms. In other cases, doctors fail to properly read or analyze test results. This may happen out of sheer negligence or when a doctor is caught up in the confusion of a much over-extended and under-staffed hospital emergency room. In other cases, a patient may present less-common symptoms of an illness or condition, causing the doctor to fail to recognize the signs. Nevertheless, proper diagnostic testing is a key aspect of standard medical care.

Additionally, treating physicians are not the only ones who can cause diagnostic errors through negligence. Sometimes, a doctor may order the proper tests, but the radiologist may misread the films or the pathologist may misread the biopsy.

What Can Cause a Delayed Diagnosis?

A misdiagnosis is when a doctor misunderstands a patient’s symptoms and diagnoses them with the incorrect health condition. A delayed diagnosis is when a doctor reaches the correct diagnosis, but it happens too late and the patient’s health has deteriorated because of that delay. It can also be when the correct diagnosis is never reached or when a doctor refuses to even provide a diagnosis for one reason or another.

Delayed diagnoses can be caused by:

• Incorrect lab tests: Your doctor will never be able to reach a correct diagnosis if they never order the correct lab tests. The longer a doctor prescribes incorrect tests, the longer a patient’s condition will likely worsen.
• Waiting too long to read results: Diagnostic test results are only useful if your doctor reads and acts upon them. In many delayed diagnosis cases, our team has uncovered that our client’s doctor ordered a lab test and received the results within a reasonable amount of time, but then did not use those results to further their diagnosis.
• Refusing to refer to another doctor: Commonly, doctors need the help of other medical experts to reach an accurate diagnosis, which is done through referrals. Some doctors refuse to refer a patient to another physician, though, often out of fear that the other doctor could make things worse. This refusal can be the source of a patient’s suffering, though, if it means no one ever diagnoses the injury or illness.
• Forgetting about the patient: In many parts of the country, the ratio of patients-to-physicians requires a single primary care physician to regularly see dozens or hundreds of patients. With so many case files to manage, doctors can make the mistake of forgetting a patient is waiting for their diagnosis. Although this might be an honest error, it is not an excuse and the doctor can still be held liable through a delayed diagnosis claim.

When time is working against a patient, diagnosis delays can limit treatment options, worsen a prognosis, or even cause death. If you or a loved one have suffered because of an unreasonable gap in your treatment or a late diagnosis, call our New York delayed diagnosis attorneys to see how you can start a claim against your medical provider.

How Our Firm Can Help

The New York misdiagnosis lawyers at Simonson Goodman Platzer PC have been representing victims of late diagnosis and misdiagnosis for decades. Our attorneys have recovered money for their clients in 98% of the cases they have managed, with a total dollar recovery in excess of $200 million. Our entire team has a proven record of success and our attorneys have been frequently recognized for their legal accomplishments and commitment to the highest ethical standards.

Contact Simonson Goodman Platzer PC today to schedule your free consultation: (800) 817-5029.