Miami Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Physicians go through years of school, residencies, and other training to practice in their specific area of medicine, but these individuals do make mistakes despite their extensive backgrounds. The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) reports that diagnostic errors are among the impactful, harmful problems in health care in the US. Serious mistakes with identifying medical conditions have been discovered in around 10 to 20% of all autopsies, revealing that up to 80,000 patients die because of diagnosis mistakes every year.
When you trust your physician to make a proper diagnosis, you lose trust and may not know what to do about your health and your rights. With a Miami diagnostic errors lawyer on your side, you can feel confident that your legal remedies are in good hands. A few tips are also useful to help you get through this difficult situation.
Research New Providers
There are many scenarios in life where it is essential to get a second opinion, so you should make arrangements to see a new physician. There are two ways that meeting with a different healthcare provider and getting a proper diagnosis may help with a misdiagnosis case:
- Another doctor might be able to assess the harm done due to the diagnosis error.
- A new physician can treat both the injuries you suffer because of the misdiagnosis and the underlying medical condition.
Obtain Documents
Your medical records will be at the core of a diagnostic mistakes case, which is a type of medical malpractice claim. Important documents may include:
- Paperwork regarding your diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments;
- Records on your lab tests, imaging exams, and other diagnosis procedures;
- Physicians’ notes;
- Prescriptions and medication documents; and,
- Many others.
Review the Basics
Your Florida diagnosis mistakes lawyer will handle the details and essential tasks, but it is helpful to know the fundamental legal issues. Under state med-mal laws, you must be able to prove that your doctor deviated from how healthcare providers with similar backgrounds would have rendered a diagnosis of your medical condition. Plus, you need to note the legal deadlines. Florida’s statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is two years, so you must file a lawsuit before it expires.
Keep Things Confidential
Make sure that you only discuss your misdiagnosis claim with loved ones and your employer, as privacy is crucial for your legal strategy in med-mal cases. Do not share posts of your activities on social media, which could come back to haunt you.
Discuss Options With a Miami Diagnostic Errors Attorney
These are some helpful tips you can use if you suspect that your physician did not provide a proper diagnosis, but it is essential to get legal help with a Florida medical malpractice claim. Our team at Gerson & Schwartz, PA, is prepared to guide you through the process, so please contact our firm to schedule a free consultation. You can reach a diagnosis errors lawyer by calling our offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach at (305) 371-6000 or visiting us online.
