Going to the doctor can be stressful for any Oregonian, especially when one considers the dependency a doctor has on his initial diagnosis. If a doctor makes a wrong diagnosis, a patient can be seriously harmed or killed as a result. The same is true when a doctor misses signs of a medical condition and therefore does not make a diagnosis.
This is what happened to one woman who is now suing her doctors. Though the woman had several mammograms and ultrasounds of her left breast, doctors failed to identify a growing cancerous mass. The woman’s lawsuit claims her doctors’ failure to biopsy and diagnose the cancer in a times fashion has caused her to develop an aggressive form of the cancer. She now seeks compensation for her damages.
A doctor’s failure to diagnose and/or delayed treatment can cause serious harm. The patient may develop a worsened medical condition that increases his or her physical and emotional pain. Further medical treatment may also become necessary, adding to his or her medical expenses. When a delayed cancer diagnosis is made, like in the case mentioned above, the patient may have a decreased chance of survival.
To try to bring justice and recover for his or her losses, a victim in one of these situations should consider filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against his or her doctors and the hospitals at which they work. By doing so, the victim may recover compensation to help pay for medical costs and lost wages, comfort pain and suffering, and punish errant medical professionals. An Oregon attorney can help provide a strong legal voice so the victim has the best chance of recovering these losses as possible while holding negligent professionals and institutions accountable.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “Woman sues doctors claiming they failed to timely diagnose breast cancer,” Kelly Holleran, Dec. 30, 2013