Experienced • Established • Effective

The failure to diagnose a patient’s condition could be fatal

On Behalf of | Sep 10, 2015 | Failure To Diagnose |

Many medical conditions share common symptoms. This can make it difficult for a physician to properly diagnose an Oregon patient. Patients expect their doctor to take whatever time is needed in order to make the correct diagnosis since a failure to diagnose a patient’s condition in a timely manner could be fatal.

The patient may not die right away, as could be the case with a cancer diagnosis that comes too late to save the patient’s life. In its early stages, many forms of cancer can be cured. However, if a doctor either fails to take the time to properly examine and speak with the patient or simply ignores the signs, the cancer could advance too far for a full recovery to occur.

Not getting a complete patient history, including any medications being taken, could result in a dangerous drug interaction that could be deadly. The normal side effects of some medications are dangerous enough, but when accompanied by another medication, those effects can be amplified. Many doctors are busy, but that is no excuse for not ensuring the safety of their patients.

The failure to diagnose an Oregon patient’s condition properly and in a timely manner is tantamount to providing substandard care. If a member of your family died because of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to restitution. The court will not be able to give you back your loved one, but it might give back the monies lost as a result of his or her death. In addition, a doctor who is determined by the court to be liable for that death may work harder in the future not to make the same mistake — if he or she is allowed to continue to practice medicine.

Archives

Email our firm

Contact The Law Offices of Judy Snyder

4248 Galewood Street
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035

Lake Oswego Office

Local: 503-894-7478
Fax: (971) 277-3894
email