Personal Injury Lawyer
When you aren’t feeling well, you go to the doctor to see what exactly is going on. While most doctors give the correct diagnoses, some make mistakes. Making a diagnosis can be quite difficult because many medical conditions have similar symptoms. That means even the most experienced and skilled doctors can get it wrong sometimes. Here are some signs you have been misdiagnosed.
Your Doctor Didn’t Use All the Diagnostic Tools
The majority of medical conditions have an order of tests that a doctor uses to diagnose the illness. If your doctor is following the expected standards of care, he or she should perform all of these tests before determining what you have. If you find out the required tests for your condition online and see that your doctor missed something, you should contact him or her right away.
Your Appointment With the Doctor Was Short
It’s no secret that doctors are busy and have to see many patients in a short time frame. However, your doctor should still take the time to get the necessary information from you to get an accurate diagnosis. He or she should ask about your family’s medical history, the medications you’re currently taking, your symptoms and whether or not you’ve had surgery before. If your doctor didn’t ask you all of these questions, he or she may have made the wrong diagnosis.
Your Medicine Isn’t Working
If your doctor prescribed you a medication to treat an illness and it doesn’t seem to be working, you may have been misdiagnosed. For example, if you actually have celiac disease and your doctor gives you medication for irritable bowel syndrome, it won’t do anything to help your symptoms.
Your Symptoms Are Common With More Than One Medication Condition
There are many medical conditions out there that have very similar symptoms. For instance, lupus has many of the same symptoms as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. If your symptoms are common with several other conditions, it’s possible that your doctor misdiagnosed you.
What To Do If You Receive the Wrong Diagnosis
If you believe that your doctor gave you the wrong diagnosis, you should speak to a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Medical malpractice claims are very complex and you shouldn’t try to tackle it on your own. In order to have a successful medical malpractice case, you don’t just have to show that your doctor made the wrong diagnosis. You also have to prove that the misdiagnosis caused you harm. For example, if the misdiagnosis exposed you to a more aggressive treatment than what would have been required if the right diagnosis was made earlier, you will have a stronger claim.
An experienced medical malpractice attorney trusts can help you gather necessary evidence, identify witnesses and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. The majority of medical malpractice attorneys offer free initial consultations, so you have nothing to lose by speaking to one.