Misdiagnosis claims are not unusual in the medical world. You hear of them every day, and the consequences of a medical misdiagnosis can be devastating. Serious illness, debilitating injury and even death lie behind many misdiagnosis claims.
A medical misdiagnosis is a doctor getting your diagnosis wrong. Misdiagnosis delays the correct treatment, and while your symptoms get worse. The time wasted can never be got back, and often the condition has moved onto the next stage before a correct diagnosis happens.
You can claim compensation for a medical misdiagnosis. A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will handle your misdiagnosis claim and get you the compensation you deserve.
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What is a medical misdiagnosis claim?
A medical misdiagnosis claim is when you seek compensation for the damage caused to your health by a doctor’s mistake in diagnosing your condition.
You go to the doctor for a correct diagnosis of your condition. A misdiagnosis claim starts when they diagnose skin cancer as not concerning and send you home with a topical cream. Months or years later you come back, but this time they diagnose skin cancer which has got a lot worse.
Medical misdiagnosis claims can happen anywhere in the medical system. You can get a medical misdiagnosis at the GPs, the A&E ward and from a consultant in their hospital rooms.
A doctor misreading a scan, an infection missed on test results and the hospital consultant or GP misdiagnosing your cancer can happen and happen all the time.
Common medical misdiagnosis claims show how often it happens, and they could happen to you.
What are common medical misdiagnosis claims?
Common medical misdiagnosis claims are missing the signs of a stroke or diagnosing a heart attack as bad indigestion. Medical misdiagnosis claims come from every area of medicine, and the results are serious when you suffer from the wrong diagnosis.
Some common medical negligence claims are for a misdiagnosis of:
A misdiagnosis of meningitis
A misdiagnosis of meningitis is when the infection is diagnosed as just a passing illness. Meningitis needs a swift intervention of intravenous antibiotics and fluids to reduce temperature and swelling around the brain. Delays can be devastating.
A misdiagnosis of meningitis leads to brain damage and permanent disability or death.
A misdiagnosis of cancer
A misdiagnosis of cancer can leave your cancer untreated and put your life in danger. Common claims are when your GP misses the signs of bowel, kidney or skin cancer, or the hospital consultant does not investigate for bowel cancer when you show symptoms.
The misdiagnosis of cancer delays treatment, puts your life at risk and may result in the cancer spreading to other organs.
A misdiagnosis of a subarachnoid haemorrhage
A misdiagnosis of a subarachnoid haemorrhage is when the examining doctor misses the warning signs of the stroke. It is an uncommon type of stroke but can be fatal if left untreated.
The warning signs, such as severe headache and photosensitivity, are obvious indicators, and an immediate CT scan should be ordered.
A misdiagnosis of Cauda Equina syndrome
A misdiagnosis of Cauda Equina syndrome can result in years of unnecessary suffering. The pressure on the nerves branching from the base of the spine leads to pain, numbing sensation and bladder dysfunction.
A medical professional should diagnose the syndrome and start treatment and not misdiagnose Cauda Equina leading to some terrible outcomes.
A misdiagnosis of ectopic pregnancy
A misdiagnosis of ectopic pregnancy often results in serious infection and even infertility in some women. The ectopic pregnancy is evident on a scan, and missing one is very unprofessional.
An ectopic pregnancy can be misdiagnosed as an infection or miscarriage, but a scan should show the doctor what is wrong.
A misdiagnosis of appendicitis
A misdiagnosis of appendicitis should never happen, and the resulting burst appendix can spread infection throughout the body. Nausea, pain down one side of the lower abdomen and drowsiness are signs all are not well with the appendix.
Every doctor should be alert to an appendix diagnosis. An appendix misdiagnosis can lead to a medical emergency and a prolonged stay in hospital.
A misdiagnosis of broken bones
A misdiagnosis of broken bones can happen at the GP surgery or even the Emergency Department. A paramedic may misdiagnose the broken bones, too, leading to a delay in treatment at the hospital.
Broken bones may not always be obvious, but every care should be taken to order X-Rays or scans after any accident.
A misdiagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome
A misdiagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome will put you down the wrong path of treatment and make your life a misery for years. Irritable bowel syndrome has some obvious signs, and misdiagnosis is inexcusable.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a life-long condition but can be managed with a correct diagnosis. A misdiagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, only prolongs the worst of the condition for the sufferer.
A misdiagnosis of diabetes
A misdiagnosis of diabetes results in organ damage, years of suffering and even premature death for the patient. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have obvious symptoms which your doctor should not misdiagnose.
Diabetes can come from a poor lifestyle, be a side-effect of another condition or be inherited. Your doctor must be aware of your history and not give a misdiagnosis of diabetes.
A misdiagnosis of stroke
A misdiagnosis of stroke by a paramedic, GP or Emergency department staff can be fatal. The FAST guidelines are clear on how doctors should diagnose stroke, and misdiagnosis of stroke should never happen. Time is critical for stroke diagnosis. Where there a blockage, an ischaemic stroke the window for treatment is only 4.5 hours for clot busting treatment to start and the earlier in that window the better.
Looking for a stroke diagnosis will hasten your treatment and ease your recovery. A misdiagnosis of stroke leads to permanent disability and death in many cases.
A misdiagnosis of epilepsy
A misdiagnosis of epilepsy can be life-threatening and limit the ability of the sufferer to live a normal life. Epilepsy results in seizures, and the doctor should not misdiagnose epilepsy as a one-off episode without further tests.
Epilepsy can be controlled with medication or even surgery. To misdiagnose epilepsy can put the patient at risk and delay the correct path of treatment.
You can make a claim for medical misdiagnosis compensation. A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will get you the money to help get your life back together.
Our Process
Our team members have a higher career win rate with a 75% success rate on NHS letters of claim, compared to an industry average of 54.5%.
Enquiry
The first step is to get in touch and tell us what went wrong. It’s free and easy. Call our 24-hour helpline: 0800 246 1122 or request a callback here.
Medical Evaluation
Once you have spoken with our team we’ll let you know how we can help. Typically the next step is to obtain your medical records for us to review.
Legal Letter
Once all your medical records have been received they will be reviewed by a medically & legally qualified member of our team. If there is evidence of negligence we will send a letter of claim to the negligent party outlining your compensation claim.
What are the effects of a medical misdiagnosis?
The effects of a medical misdiagnosis are delayed treatment, your condition getting worse, wasted time tackling an illness and, unfortunately, death in many cases.
Trained doctors and medical professionals spend years at university and in hospitals learning how to diagnose medical conditions. To misdiagnose a common medical condition such as skin cancer or appendicitis should not happen. The symptoms show something is wrong, and tests and scans should confirm the doctor’s diagnosis.
A medical misdiagnosis when the doctor has the means and tools to diagnose and treat you correctly is medical negligence. Even a late medical diagnosis may be too late to treat your condition correctly
What is a late medical diagnosis?
A late medical diagnosis is when the doctor misses the earlier signs of your condition, but you do eventually get a correct diagnosis.
It could be that your appendicitis gets so bad and the required surgery happens so late that you have a major infection, sepsis and peritonitis which could have been avoided. A broken bone missed at the A&E may become very painful months later. A misdiagnosis of cancer can result in it spreading and becoming something a lot worse.
Often a misdiagnosis continues until the effects lead to a correct medical diagnosis of your condition. Better late than never, but then you have to deal with the effects of a late diagnosis.
What are the effects of a late diagnosis?
The effects of a late diagnosis are that your condition is not treated correctly, and your health continues to suffer unnecessarily.
A late medical diagnosis delays the treatment of a condition. The wrong treatment could be making you very ill while the original illness gets worse. A cancer can grow, becoming difficult to treat, or diabetes may worsen, causing heart trouble and poor eyesight.
One effect of a late medical diagnosis is that a condition easily treatable has become difficult to treat. Stronger medications, prolonged hospital stays and life-threatening surgery are common effects of a late diagnosis.
How does a medical misdiagnosis happen?
A medical misdiagnosis happens when a medical professional does not do their job. If you present at the GP, the Accident Department of your hospital or at a consultant’s rooms with symptoms, you expect a correct diagnosis.
A medical misdiagnosis happens when the doctor does not read the waning signs. They fail to order further scans or tests which would detect and diagnose your condition.
Simple blood tests can find many conditions. A scan or X-Ray will highlight a broken bone, abnormal growth or a defect in an organ.
Medical misdiagnosis happens when the person responsible does not do their job, but you are the one who suffers for their medical negligence.
Who is responsible for a medical misdiagnosis?
A medical professional is responsible for a medical misdiagnosis. They are not providing an acceptable service and are doing their job below professional standards.
The GP who sends you home though you are showing signs of a heart attack. The ambulance paramedic who misses your stroke or the hospital consultant who does not diagnose cancer are responsible for medical misdiagnosis.
When you are the victim of a medical misdiagnosis, you can claim compensation for the medical negligence.
How much can I claim for a medical misdiagnosis?
You can claim for a medical misdiagnosis any amount from the low £1,000s to figures well over the £1 million mark. Recent reports on medical misdiagnosis claims and medical negligence show the NHS spending over £2 billion in settling cases.
When making a claim for medical misdiagnosis, you are looking for compensation for what happened at the hands of a medical professional. The negligent treatment caused you temporary or permanent injury, and you deserve compensation for the suffering.
There is not one fixed amount awarded for medical misdiagnosis claims. The amount of compensation differs from patient to patient, depending on the circumstances of the medical misdiagnosis and its effects.
As in all medical negligence claims, each case is dealt with on its merits and how much you have suffered from the medical misdiagnosis.
A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will be the only one who can advise you on a medical misdiagnosis claim. They will know from experience what your case may be worth and how to go about a successful claim.
Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will handle your medical misdiagnosis claim and get you compensation for all damages incurred.
What can you claim for when you sue for medical misdiagnosis?
You can claim compensation for any damages that occurred when you sue for medical misdiagnosis.
There are two types of compensation damages due when suing for any type of medical negligence: General damages and Special damages.
General damages
General damages are when you sue for the pain, suffering and the loss of amenity, PSLA, you have experienced due to negligence.
Special damages
Special damages include loss of earnings, future care costs, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Be sure to keep payslips, receipts and proof of any losses you experience as a result of the medical negligence.
You deserve compensation to cover all losses, including loss of life, medical costs and any long-term care needs.
When you or a loved one suffers from the effects of medical misdiagnosis, you make a claim for misdiagnosis compensation.
Your No Win No Fee solicitor will guide you through the steps in making a medical misdiagnosis claim.
What are the steps involved in making a medical misdiagnosis claim?
The steps involved in making a medical misdiagnosis claim go from seeking medical advice to issuing court proceedings.
The steps are a part of any successful compensation case, and settlement can happen at any stage in the process.
Your medical negligence solicitor will do the rest when you follow the steps correctly and get all the facts and figures together.
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor is the only way to a successful medical misdiagnosis compensation claim. Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will not charge you for a claim you do not win.
Always have a fee agreement in place before engaging a medical negligence solicitor. If they start talking of a ‘win fee’ or a ‘success fee,’ you should walk away. The negligent party insurers should pay all fees.
The medical negligence solicitor should also operate a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme. When you win the case, all the money awarded should go to you, not the solicitor.
You are the one who suffered medical misdiagnosis, and you deserve the compensation to get your life back to normal.
How long do I have to make a claim for medical misdiagnosis?
You have three years to make a claim for medical misdiagnosis. All medical negligence claims are subject to limitation periods.
For example, in England and Wales, medical negligence claims must generally be brought and court proceedings issued, within three years of the injury, or three years of knowledge of the facts giving rise to the misdiagnosis claim.
If someone has passed away, it is the date of death if the limitation period has not expired at the date of death.
Children not under a disability typically have until they reach 21 to start a medical misdiagnosis claim or court proceedings.
Persons under a disability, who lack capacity, are not subject to any limitation period.
Can I make a medical negligence claim against the NHS?
Yes, you can make a medical negligence claim against the NHS. Suing the NHS for negligence is not unusual. People sue the NHS for compensation for medical negligence and receive the money they deserve for the negligent treatment.
Each year there are between 8,000 and 10,000 successful medical negligence claims against the NHS. Amounts in compensation claims awarded against the NHS range from £1000 to over £10 million.
The amount of compensation you receive covers minor injuries such as scarring to serious life-threatening negligence, which leaves you with long-term care needs.
We trust in and use the NHS daily and do not expect negligence. It happens, though, and the NHS has a dedicated team to handle medical negligence compensation claims, called NHS resolution.
NHS Resolution has a responsibility to treat patients who seek compensation fairly. Patients pay for the NHS through their taxes, and for that they deserve respect and the best medical treatment.
Contact The Medical Negligence Team
Contact the Medical Negligence Team today to discuss your medical misdiagnosis claim for compensation. We have both the legal and medical experts to guide you along the steps to a successful medical negligence claim for compensation.
At the Medical Negligence Team, we fight every compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis. You will not be out of pocket for an unsuccessful claim.
We have a very high success rate and a reputation for a speedy and successful resolution to all medical negligence cases.
Our 100% Compensation Guarantee puts all the money you win into your pocket. You or your loved one suffered a medical misdiagnosis, and you deserve every penny of the compensation claim.
Contact us at the Medical Negligence Team for all your medical negligence needs.
