Diagnostic Errors Have Led to More Medical Malpractice & Wrongful Death Claims Than Ever Before
When it comes to personal injury claims, there are a wide range of different issues that can fall under this legal umbrella. While some of them are as cut and dry as an auto accident claim, others, such as medical malpractice can have quite a few different factors that can easily confuse the claim for either side of the claim. According to Ms. Anissa Morris, of Spinner Law Firm, considered to be the best personal injury attorney Sarasota has to offer, in the majority of cases or claims, when an individual hears the term medical malpractice they tend to thing of accidents on the operating table and other similarly severe issues, that can often lead to the claim being that much more high-stakes. However, while the operating table might be our first thought, according to Ms. Morris, the best personal injury attorney Sarasota has in practice, the vast majority of medical malpractice claims aren’t committed on the surgical table at all, in fact they take place within the doctor’s office, whether it be for a pre-surgery checkup or even your initial consultation. This is because the vast majority of medical malpractice issues occur as a result of a misdiagnosis.
In fact, when it comes to diagnostic errors, as the top wrongful death lawyer Sarasota has to offer, Ms. Morris has seen a number of patients pass on as a result of such poor diagnosis. A recent article in the medical journal Diagnosis focused on the significance of diagnostic errors, pointing out that 34 percent of medical malpractice claims resulting from a patient’s death or serious disability were caused by inaccurate or delayed diagnoses. Twenty-eight percent of total payouts were attributable to diagnostic errors. According to Ms. Morris, the best personal injury attorney Sarasota has in practice, the study examined data covering a 10-year period from a database comprising 28.7% of all closed medical-malpractice claims in the U.S. Using that data, researchers identified 11,592 claims that alleged diagnostic errors, nearly three-quarters of them stemming from erroneous or missed diagnoses involving the severe diseases such as, cancer, infections, and vascular events such as strokes and heart attacks. The fact of the matter is that as a wrongful death lawyer Sarasota attorney Ms. Morris, and her colleagues may never truly be able to identify the impact of missed diagnosis within the US, as many of such cases and claims never end up being filed as doctors have a tendency to play on their patient’s surviving relatives emotions, and during such a difficult time, the last thing on certain patient’s minds is filing a lawsuit. However, despite the lack of a true figures, estimates on the number of people who have been harmed by them range from 40,000 to 4 million. The authors characterized their study as “a first step toward a national epidemiological estimate of serious misdiagnosis-related harms.
One of the most important things you can do is to reduce your risk within these settings. Therefore, if you find yourself in such a setting, or any medical facility – there are certain ways by which you might be able to reduce your risks. As a wrongful death lawyer Sarasota attorney Ms. Morris believes that one of the best ways is to become far more active in your healthcare and overall wellness. Pay close attention to symptoms and issue you might be suffering from, tell your doctors about every aspect of your medical history, your medications, your allergies. Do your own research and gather as much information as you can from the doctor. Be assertive and speak up if you have questions.So, if you find yourself in one of those settings — or any medical venue, for that matter — what might you do to reduce the likelihood of a misdiagnosis?And if you believe you may have been the victim of malpractice, you’ll want to consult with a skilled attorney, such as Ms. Morris, who focuses their work in that complex area of law. For more information on medical malpractice claims, wrongful death or personal injury overall, be sure to contact Spinner Law Firm today.