In an emergency room, diagnostic tests can determine the course of treatment for a patient. When a patient is in pain, the chaotic environment of an emergency room may lead physicians to base future care on a single test. However, if a diagnostic test is relied upon too heavily, complications may result. 

Emergency room misdiagnosis is a major concern for patients. Existing illnesses or injuries may be worsened if a single test is used as the basis for a course of treatment. What could have been an acute illness can remain a chronic impairment for an otherwise healthy individual. The importance of arriving at an accurate emergency room diagnosis cannot be overstated. 

If you are facing a lasting injury after an emergency room relied incorrectly on the results of a diagnostic test, contact Crim Law Office, PLLC. A free case review is available from an experienced West Virginia failure-to-diagnose attorney. 

What Types of Diagnostic Errors Occur in Emergency Rooms?

There are a variety of mistakes that can be made in emergency rooms associated with diagnostic testing. Many times, a diagnosis is made based on an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. If these imaging tests are relied upon too heavily, other symptoms or complaints of a patient may be ignored. It is possible that a radiologist may misdiagnose a patient by misinterpreting the image, as well.

Other times, an emergency room physician may order a test that would not be helpful in diagnosing a patient’s condition. This can result in a misdiagnosis if the physician does not seek secondary testing. In the early stages of the diagnostic process, time lost to seeking unnecessary tests cannot be made up for later. Once the opportunity to correctly diagnose a condition is lost, a chronic medical condition may result for a patient. 

When a misdiagnosis leads to lasting harm for a patient, West Virginians know to contact the Crim Law Office, PLLC. Our team of legal professionals stands up for the rights of our injured clients. We take a proactive approach to each of our clients’ cases. Speak with us today about how we can best serve you. 

How Can the Overreliance on One ER Test Result in Severe Patient Consequences?

The treatment a patient receives in an emergency room must be timely. Seconds matter when it comes to treating the serious conditions that cause a person to seek emergency care. Delays in emergency room care are not always about insufficient staffing or overcrowding during peak seasons. Instead, misdiagnosis due to overreliance on a single test result can cause a significant delay in care. 

An emergency room misdiagnosis may result in an injury going unnoticed and untreated- leaving a patient with a chronic, painful impairment. An infection that could have been treated properly with antibiotics could require surgical intervention if not identified with proper testing in an emergency room. The effects of relying too heavily on a single test result can be far-reaching and significant. 

All the while, the costs of medical care needed to treat the worsening condition can add up quickly. At the same time, the patient is unable to work and is losing wages rapidly. These are damages that must be fought for as the hospital and its insurance company attempt to deflect and deny any wrongdoing. 

What are the Potential Impacts of an Emergency Room Misdiagnosis?

Delays in critical care are a common result when an emergency room test result is overly relied upon. These delays mean longer hospital stays, an increased likelihood of infections, and higher medical care costs. A single test result can be used to make a diagnosis for a patient as part of a broader testing regimen and overall care. Negative outcomes result when a single test result is used as the sole determining factor in diagnosing a patient. 

When Does a Diagnostic Mistake in the Emergency Room Rise to the Level of Medical Malpractice?

An emergency room malpractice claim has four components: 

1) A duty by a medical provider to care for a patient

2) A breach of that duty, by failing to provide a reasonable level of emergency care

3) A causal relationship between that breach and the harm(s) suffered by the patient

4) Damages (physical, economic, and other) suffered as a result of the harm

When a medical provider in the emergency room fails to provide care comparable to what another provider would have in that circumstance, a patient may have a potential medical malpractice claim. When a failure to diagnose leads to an avoidable injury or illness, it is a good time to contact a West Virginia failure-to-diagnose attorney for a free consultation. 

What a Free Case Review With Crim Law Office, PLLC Can Do For You

Contacting Crim Law Office, PLLC helps you in several ways. First, our attorneys can answer questions about your specific circumstances in a free consultation. Learn about how you can begin to view your case from an attorney who has served clients in a variety of different situations related to a failure to diagnose. 

Next, our attorneys will provide you with an overview of your case. This will provide you with practical steps you can take to begin preparing for a possible claim against the hospital. An overview of the important evidence needed to prove your claim and how Crim Law Office, PLLC can help you obtain that evidence will be discussed. 

Finally, this information will empower you to start taking action in your case. Ultimately, no person will simply hand you the justice your case demands. Rather, you must initiate a claim, provide sufficient evidence, and have the confidence that your rights are worth defending. Interested in learning more? Contact a West Virginia failure-to-diagnose attorney today. 

Contact Crim Law Office, PLLC today 

For more information on how to develop a strategy geared towards maximum recovery of damages, contact the Crim Law Office, PLLC today. A free case review is only a phone call away.