We’ve all had doctor visits where the medical professionals who are treating us take some basic information: the symptoms of our injury or illness; our heart rate; and our blood pressure. When Connecticut residents seek medical attention, they are looking for one thing: for the doctor to tell us what is wrong and give us a remedy. However, sometimes it isn’t that simple.
Doctors, no matter how well they are trained and how smart they are, are not immune to making mistakes. Unfortunately, when a doctor makes a mistake in the diagnosis of a medical condition, the results can be disastrous.
A doctor error that leads to a misdiagnosis could result in improper treatment, thereby leaving the patient in a worsened condition. This could include a doctor prescribing the wrong medication, or the doctor performing an unnecessary surgery or other physical treatment. This type of negligence can be the basis for a medical malpractice lawsuit in Connecticut.
When patients who suffer an injury or illness from a misdiagnosis are seeking compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit, they will need to use expert testimony to prove that the misdiagnosis was solely the doctor’s fault – that any other properly trained and competent doctor would have correctly diagnosed the condition. But, when it comes to a misdiagnosis of a terminal disease, such as cancer, the damage could already be done. In those types of cases, it is oftentimes the patient’s surviving loved ones who are left to seek compensation in Connecticut civil court.
Source: FindLaw, “Failed/Erroneous Diagnosis and Treatment,” accessed September 4, 2017
