Misdiagnosis is, unfortunately, a rather pervasive and frightening issue in healthcare, and Middletown is no exception.
This error not only jeopardizes the wellness and, in some cases, the lives of patients but also brings about a series of unexpected financial burdens. The consequences of these medical errors may include prolonged illness or irreversible health damage.
If you or a loved one falls victim to a misdiagnosis in Middletown, you may recover compensation. The Flood Law Firm, with its team of skilled and empathetic Middletown misdiagnosis lawyers, is committed to fighting for your rights.
Drawing on our extensive experience, we are dedicated to guiding you through the complex legal terrain in the pursuit of justice and fair compensation. Contact The Flood Law Firm today for a free evaluation of your case.
Why Choose The Flood Law Firm?
The Flood Law Firm has a well-established reputation for serving injured clients throughout Connecticut, and we are pleased to announce that we have a new medical malpractice lawyer on our Middletown team.
This means that those seeking support after a misdiagnosis in Middletown now have access to profound knowledge and experience in the intricacies of medical malpractice claims.
We bring a wealth of experience in advocating for patients who've suffered due to the negligence of healthcare providers, ensuring they receive the compensation they rightfully deserve. We commit to transparent communication with our clients, and we're not afraid to litigate aggressively to secure fair compensation on their behalf.
Our Middletown office ensures easy accessibility for residents. Our attorneys not only possess a thorough understanding of the local legal landscape but also share a close connection with the community. This unique perspective equips us with an exceptional understanding of the challenges that our clients face.
Misdiagnosis Compensation
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted studies showing that diagnostic errors, including misdiagnosis, account for the highest number of claims in the United States, cause the most severe harm, and result in the highest number of penalty payments.
Victims who've suffered severe physical harm and financial and psychological consequences due to a doctor's error have received billions of dollars in compensation over the years.
Victims of misdiagnosis may recover compensation by filing a claim against the at-fault provider's medical malpractice insurance.
This can include reimbursement for medical expenses (including future ones), pain and suffering, lost earnings or earning capacity, and sometimes punitive damages. Calculating the rightful compensation requires an understanding of the extent of medical negligence and its effect on the victim's life.
At The Flood Law Firm, we endeavor to offer you the best opportunity for compensation by looking at all the factors that can influence the value of your claim, including the availability of insurance coverage, the severity of the harm resulting from the misdiagnosis, and the psychological implications of physical pain and emotional suffering.
Our lawyers work closely with medical experts and financial consultants to establish the full implications of your misdiagnosis and quantify the financial repercussions it has caused.
Misdiagnosis in Middletown
There are numerous hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, doctor's offices, and other healthcare facilities in and around Middletown where people seek a diagnosis for ailments or injuries.
According to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, the diagnosis isn't something that doctors magically come up with when a patient walks into the room. Diagnosis should be a process in which healthcare providers consider all types of information, including the patient's medical history, current symptoms, physical exams, laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging tests.
They could make an error at any point in this process, such as:
- Failing to gather the necessary information to inform the diagnosis, such as neglecting to take an adequate history, perform a physical exam, or order a laboratory test.
- Failing to interpret information correctly, such as misinterpreting laboratory results or fixating on a single symptom while ignoring others.
- Closing a case prematurely. This occurs when the doctor makes an initial diagnosis and fails to consider the possibility of other causes for the ailment that would better align with the symptoms.
Misdiagnosis can occur in any healthcare facility, even those with a high rating for quality care. The most common factors leading to diagnostic errors are understaffing at healthcare facilities, lack of time with the patient when making a diagnosis, lack of training in interpreting laboratory reports, and failure to obtain a complete medical history.
Understanding Misdiagnosis
According to recent research from Johns Hopkins Medicine, an estimated 750,000 people die or suffer a permanent disability due to a diagnostic error each year.
Misdiagnosis refers to a situation where a healthcare professional offers an incorrect, late, or completely missed diagnosis. This wrongful classification may include common ailments, such as pneumonia or asthma, or more life-threatening conditions, such as cancer or heart disease.
Vascular events, infections, and cancer account for 75 percent of the serious harms that result from misdiagnosis. The most commonly misdiagnosed ailment, occurring in around 62 percent of cases, is a spinal abscess. About 17.5 percent of misdiagnoses resulting in serious harm involve strokes.
The repercussions of misdiagnosis can vary greatly. Some patients might undergo unnecessary treatments, such as taking medications that may be harmful to them. A delay in the correct diagnosis can also aggravate a condition or even cause it to become fatal.
Battling Insurance Companies After a Misdiagnosis
Medical malpractice insurance covers a doctor's liability for errors they make in providing a standard of care. Connecticut requires all licensed healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care services to have a medical malpractice insurance policy with at least $500,000 in coverage per incident and at least $1.5 million in aggregate annual coverage.
Hospitals or clinics often maintain a policy that covers the liability of employees, such as nurses, laboratory technicians, or doctor's assistants.
Doctors are frequently independent contractors who obtain privileges to treat patients in hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers. They typically carry their medical malpractice insurance policy that covers any errors they or the employees under their supervision make.
Securing the appropriate compensation following a misdiagnosis can be a challenging process, primarily due to the involvement of insurance companies.
While the coverage amounts within these policies are substantial, insurance companies remain profitable by selling policies, not by readily disbursing claims. To safeguard their financial interests, insurance companies employ claims adjusters who assess claims and attempt to minimize settlements.
These claims adjusters may employ tactics such as downplaying the extent of the damages, delaying the claims process, or even denying valid claims. You may find yourself contending with the physical and emotional toll of your situation in addition to the stress of engaging in disputes with these insurance giants.
The Flood Law Firm can act as your shield in these battles, handling all the difficult aspects of the claims process on your behalf. Our experienced attorneys understand the tactics insurance companies employ and can effectively counteract them. We strive to ensure you receive the maximum compensation possible.
Important Services a Middletown Misdiagnosis Lawyer Can Provide
Navigating the medical malpractice claims process in Connecticut can prove exceptionally challenging when you've suffered harm due to misdiagnosis.
This intricate process involves determining liability for the diagnostic error, understanding the financial and psychological consequences for the patient, gathering compelling evidence, securing witness testimonies, and countering the strategies that insurance companies employ.
Engaging the services of a seasoned medical malpractice attorney is indispensable in securing the compensation you deserve.
They perform crucial tasks in the handling of your case, including:
- Ensuring that all legal options remain open by filing a lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires on your claim. In Connecticut, you typically must submit your misdiagnosis claim within two years of the date of your incident or the date when you understood that the harm you were suffering resulted from a misdiagnosis.
- Providing essential information to insurance claims adjusters to evaluate your claim while not divulging information that they could exploit to diminish any settlement offer. This includes protecting unrelated details, such as pre-existing medical conditions that aren't relevant to the case.
- Complying with legal prerequisites for medical malpractice lawsuits. This includes performing a reasonable inquiry with a qualified healthcare professional to establish the merit of your medical negligence claim and presenting a good faith statement confirming the healthcare professional's findings.
- Advocating for comprehensive compensation through either negotiated settlements or litigation in the realm of medical malpractice.
- Ensuring you receive the compensation due after a settlement or verdict and settling any medical liens on the award for treatment that you received after the discovery of the misdiagnosis.
Steps to Take After a Misdiagnosis
Following a misdiagnosis, it's vital to diligently adhere to the new treatment plans that your doctor prescribes. Maintaining thorough records of all medical interactions, including receipts, prescription notes, and medical records, can significantly contribute to establishing a robust case.
If you do find yourself without this information, there's no need to worry because your legal team will undertake the task of gathering the required information as they progress in handling your case.
Seeking legal counsel promptly following a misdiagnosis is crucial to prevent the statute of limitations from running out on your claim. Failure to act swiftly in such cases results in the forfeiture of your ability to pursue compensation through the civil court system and also relieves the insurance company of its legal obligation to provide compensation for your claim.
If you have concerns about affording an experienced medical malpractice attorney to represent your misdiagnosis claim, hiring a personal injury lawyer is well within your reach. The medical malpractice lawyers at The Flood Law Firm handle cases on a contingent fee basis.
This means that the payment for the legal team's services will depend on the successful receipt of compensation for your claim. If your case does not succeed, you have no obligation to cover the costs of your attorney's work. After a successful outcome, your attorney will, however, receive a percentage of the total award.
Before working on your case, you and your attorney will enter into a contingency fee agreement that outlines the specific terms of this percentage and the scope of services they will provide.
Contact The Flood Law Firm Today
If you or a loved one has suffered due to misdiagnosis, don't hesitate to get in touch with The Flood Law Firm for a free case evaluation. We endeavor to champion justice and secure rightful compensation for all our clients.
Allow us to stand beside you and navigate this intricate legal journey together. We can offer you the legal guidance and representation you deserve, enabling you to concentrate on your physical and emotional recovery.
To initiate this process, contact our Middletown personal injury lawyers at The Flood Law Firm through our online contact form or call our Middletown office at (860) 346-2695. Take that crucial first step toward attaining justice today.
