Being diagnosed with any kind of medical condition can be stressful for Oregonians. However, knowing a condition exists is a prerequisite to properly treating it. Once a condition is accurately diagnosed and treated, it may be remedied or prevented from becoming a worsened condition. Sometimes, diagnosing and treating one condition leads to the discovery of another condition. All too often, though, doctors miss these other, easily detectable conditions, and the result can be tragic for patients.
One woman has filed a lawsuit against her hospital after doctors who performed an appendectomy failed to disclose they had discovered the presence of mucinous adenocarcinoma in the woman’s appendix. Since she was not made aware of the cancerous condition, the patient developed and is now fighting an aggressive form of the illness. She now seeks damages for her harm.
A doctor’s failure to diagnose or failure to disclose a condition can cause serious harm to a patient. Delayed treatment may cause the condition to worsen to a point where typical treatment is ineffective. Sometimes such a delay proves fatal. In either instance, a victim or his or her family may be left with severe physical and emotional pain as well as financial losses in the form of medical expenses and lost wages.
These victims have the opportunity to hold negligent medical professionals accountable while at the same time recover their economic and noneconomic losses. An Oregon attorney can help a victim or his or her family file a medical malpractice lawsuit, and he or she will fight to prove negligence and causation beyond a preponderance of the evidence.
If a jury is persuaded by the attorney’s evidence, then the defendants may be financially punished and the victim or his or her family may recoup damages. Not only does a successful lawsuit allow the victim or his or her family to move past the accident and focus on their normal lives, but it may also protect future patients by sending the message that negligent medical actions will not be tolerated.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “St. Elizabeth’s Hospital sued after woman’s cancer goes untreated,” Annie Cosby, Jan. 21, 2014