Medical misdiagnosis
compensation but
assurance it
won't happen again"
Richard Follis, Partner
Every year we help clients who've had a serious medical condition:
- missed altogether
- misdiagnosed as something else
- mistreated
Some bone fractures are missed. This can result in arthritis, bone graft surgery or even fusion, depending on the site of the injury. Missed fractured scaphoid bones in the wrist regularly feature in the cases we take on.
The effects of medical misdiagnosis vary enormously - ranging from no harm done despite a long period of misdiagnosis, through to fatal consequences with conditions such as meningitis, myocardial infarction and aggressive missed cancers.
Some errors are down to mistakes by individual doctors. Some are due to inexperience. Others are system failures - administrative errors in failing to call back a patient for review or perhaps abnormal test results were simply filed instead of being acted on. No one sets out to make a mistake, but they continue to happen in both the NHS and the private sector.
Whatever the root cause, medical misdiagnosis can have far reaching implications for those affected and their families:
- the benefits of early treatment can be lost
- sometimes treatment is given for the wrong condition
- inappropriate drug therapy or surgery can cause damage quite separate and in addition to what was really wrong in the first place
Our specialist lawyers will advise you on the legal implications of the medical misdiagnosis and explain the options open to you. The decision about what - if anything - to do is yours, but we will help by explaining what we think is your best option.
You may be undergoing treatment to counter the effects of the mistake - or tragically it may be too late. In either case we understand that what has happened is about more than money. We will be there to help and support you as you face sometimes difficult challenges which extend far beyond 'making a claim'.
What to do now?
Speak to one of our specialists, without obligation, to find out how we can help you.
