Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorneys Report on $120 Million “Failure to Diagnose” Lawsuit

Woman Awarded $120 Million for Medical Malpractice

June 6, 2012 – In what is said to be the largest New York medical malpractice verdict in history, a 45-year-old woman has received $120 million dollars for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of three hospitals in failing to properly diagnose her condition in a timely manner.  The plaintiff, a 45 year old mother of two, initially suffered a seizure in 2004 and sought medical treatment at the three different facilities over the course of one month. She developed an allergic reaction to a prescribed anti-seizure medication causing her face, eyes and throat to swell. She was later diagnosed with a rare, but serious skin disorder called Stevens-Johnson syndrome, but not before she suffered brain damage.

Every day, millions of people seek medical care from doctors and hospitals.  Individuals trust that their doctors will provide safe and accurate medical treatment.  Unfortunately, this does not always happen.  Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional fails to provide the accepted standard of care to a patient causing harm, injury, or death to a patient.  While there are many types of medical malpractice – surgical errors, failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, anesthesia errors, birth-related injuries, medication errors, and failure to treat – misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose tend to be the most common.

Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose – A Common Medical Malpractice Scenario

Physicians have a duty to use reasonable care and diligence in diagnosing a medical condition so that proper treatment can be initiated.  A physician may fail to diagnosis or may misdiagnose a condition for many reasons, including failing to recognize a patient’s symptoms or potential risk factors, not ordering the appropriate tests, misinterpreting test results, not performing a thorough physical examination, and not providing follow up care.  Regardless of the circumstances, the failure of a doctor to identify and then appropriately treat a medical condition in a timely manner can cause serious harm to patients.  Individuals may need additional treatments, suffer permanent disabilities, have a shortened lifespan, or even die.

One of the most frequent types of medical malpractice is the failure to diagnose cancer. When early detection tests are not administered or when test results are misread or misinterpreted, cancers can be missed. Misdiagnosing the symptoms of cancer or the complete failure to diagnose the disease can be devastating to patients and their families. The disease can spread, worsening a patient’s prognosis. Patients may need to undergo more aggressive and painful treatments that may otherwise have been unnecessary. Since early detection improves a patient’s chance of survival in most cases of cancer, a delay in diagnosing cancer can very often be linked directly to a patient’s death. Sadly, this “failure to diagnose” scenario is tragic, but could have been avoided with the proper care and diligence of the treating physician.

Galfand Berger LLP – Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Philadelphia

No matter what type of medical negligence has caused harm to a patient, medical malpractice lawsuits are complex and difficult. Not every personal injury attorney has the experience, knowledge and resources to litigate a malpractice suit to a successful conclusion. The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at the renowned law firm of Galfand Berger have represented countless individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries and death as a result of a healthcare provider’s malpractice, including the failure to properly diagnose an illness. We have the resources, both professional and financial, to pursue a malpractice lawsuit to the fullest extent, with the ultimate goal of maximizing our clients’ recovery.

If you believe you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a healthcare provider’s negligence, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers at Galfand Berger. With offices in Philadelphia, Reading, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, our lawyers are available to meet with clients throughout Southeast Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Harrisburg, and Reading, as well as the South Jersey communities of Camden County and Burlington County.  Call our Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys today at 1-800-222-8792 to schedule a free and confidential consultation or submit a free online inquiry.