Solicitors specialising in medical misdiagnosis compensation claims
Often, a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can be rectified. But sometimes, it can prove 
extremely serious or even fatal. This is why it is so important to seek advice from solicitors specialising in medical negligence if you have suffered as a result of either misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, as you might be able to claim compensation.
Any failure to diagnose promptly can have deadly consequences. For instance, many cancers are treatable as long as they are correctly identified early enough. However, if they are left undetected, they become much harder to treat and a patient’s chances of recovery diminish. This can also happen with other illnesses, such as meningitis – which can be fatal if symptoms are missed.
An incorrect diagnosis can be very serious. For instance, if a patient with chest pains goes to A&E and tests are not carried out properly, a heart attack could be mistaken for something else such as angina. Also, if any illness is diagnosed incorrectly, a patient may end up taking medicine that is entirely inappropriate to them and would do nothing to help their condition.
Medical misdiagnosis compensation claims – common examples
Amongst the more common examples of compensation claims for misdiagnosis or delayed diagnoses are:
• Failing to spot evidence of something wrong on an X-ray or other scan (such as a tumour or fracture, for instance)
• Taking an X-ray or scan but then not reading or reporting on it
• Not prescribing the relevant medication when a patient presents with symptoms
• Failing to follow up on a patient’s symptoms with more tests or a referral to a specialist
• Not taking action on a patient’s test results, or not responding to them soon enough
Sometimes illnesses can be misdiagnosed because the patient genuinely appears to have a particular illness, as often symptoms can be very similar – so medical misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis does not always justify a medical negligence claim for compensation. However, if you have suffered as a result of any incorrect or delayed diagnosis and you suspect that negligence may be involved, contact our specialist medical solicitors for an initial indication of whether you could have grounds for a claim.
Your medical misdiagnosis compensation claim – don’t delay
Any compensation claim for medical misdiagnosis must be started within three years of you becoming aware of the negligence – which may be delayed if the misdiagnosis, for example, doesn’t come to light for some time. In any event, it’s always important to start any compensation claim as soon as possible – not only to keep within the strict time limits but also to ensure that any evidence is collected whilst it is fresh in the mind or still easily available.
How our our team can help you
Our solicitors offer FREE initial phone advice, a FREE first appointment(face-to-face or using Zoom video) and no win no fee agreements – and will, as far the evidence allows, try to give you an indication of how likely your medical claim is to succeed.
- Call us on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544
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