When patients entrust their health to medical professionals, they expect to receive accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. However, errors can occur, and a failure to diagnose can have serious consequences. If you are a victim of a failure to diagnose, who can be liable, and how can you seek justice?
Doctors and nurses
Doctors evaluate symptoms, order tests and diagnose. If they fail to diagnose, misdiagnose or delay diagnosis, they can be liable for medical malpractice. This can take place due to various reasons, such as:
- Failure to take a thorough medical history
- Negligence in performing adequate physical examinations
- Failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests
- Misinterpretation of test results
- Oversight in referring to a specialist when necessary
Meanwhile, nurses are often on the frontline of patient care. They assess the conditions of patients, administer medications and communicate with doctors. If they fail to recognize symptoms, misinterpret test results or neglect to inform a doctor of a patient’s condition, they can also be liable.
Other healthcare professionals
Apart from doctors and nurses, there are other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis process. Among those who can commit a failure to diagnose are:
- Radiologists: If they misinterpret imaging test results, such as X-rays or MRIs, they can miss critical signs of a serious condition.
- Pharmacists: If they dispense the wrong medication or fail to warn a patient of potential interactions, they can contribute to a failure to diagnose.
- Lab technicians: If they mislabel or contaminate a sample, leading to inaccurate test results, they can also contribute to a failure to diagnose.
In Oregon, healthcare professionals can be held accountable for medical malpractice. State law has standards for medical negligence and allows victims to seek damages.
Taking the first steps toward healing and recovery
As you deal with the intricacies of medical malpractice, it is crucial to know the roles and duties of various healthcare professionals. With legal guidance, you may better fight for the justice you deserve as you seek to take the first steps toward healing and recovery.