Each second counts when treating serious illnesses and injuries, especially when failing to respond quickly can lead to a patient suffering exponentially greater long-term harm. Fortunately, most medical professionals take their responsibility to provide diligent and timely care seriously. However, when a doctor or specialist hesitates to begin treatment, or misses symptoms of a developing condition for too long, the consequences can be dire.
With a medical malpractice attorney’s assistance, you can fight to recover compensation if you suffered preventable physical harm because your healthcare provider did not identify a health problem within a reasonable amount of time. To give yourself the best chance of a successful case result, you should retain a Connecticut delayed diagnosis lawyer as soon as possible after your injury.
When Does a Delayed Diagnosis Constitute Negligence?
Not every mistake a doctor makes automatically qualifies as grounds for a lawsuit, including errors made while diagnosing some injuries and illnesses. For a doctor’s mistake to rise to the level of actionable negligence, they must have had an established doctor-patient relationship with the impacted individual. The doctor’s mistake must also have both served as a breach of the standard of care applicable to similar doctors under the circumstances, and directly resulted in physical harm to the patient.
The “standard of care” a healthcare provider must adhere to can change depending on the situation. For example, doctors who work in high-pressure places like emergency rooms are given a little more leeway for diagnostic delays and errors, given the amount of stress they are under and the number of patients they are often responsible for at once.
Conversely, a primary care physician in a private clinic might be reasonably expected to identify health problems more quickly and accurately, as they have fewer patients and more time to consider medical information and data. A seasoned attorney can provide irreplaceable guidance about whether a delayed diagnosis in Connecticut is severe enough in light of the circumstances to warrant a claim.
Recoverable Damages Through a Delayed Diagnosis Claim
If a delayed diagnosis causes someone to experience avoidable physical harm, that injured individual may demand financial restitution from the at-fault healthcare provider for the economic and non-economic consequences of their negligence. This includes but is not limited to:
- Expenses for additional medical care necessitated by the untreated condition
- Lost wages from missed time at work
- Lost future earning capacity if an untreated condition has permanent and debilitating consequences
- Physical and emotional anguish
- Lost enjoyment/quality of life
If applicable in a delayed diagnosis case, a skilled attorney in Connecticut can also help surviving family members seek compensation for losses related to a loved one’s death.
Learn More by Talking to a Connecticut Delayed Diagnosis Attorney
While it is rare for a civil claim based on medical malpractice to be a straightforward affair, cases revolving around delayed diagnoses tend to be especially complex. Establishing that a diagnosis occurred unreasonably slowly and that the doctor’s lack of urgency was the direct cause of an adverse medical outcome can require extensive documentary evidence, input from multiple medical experts, and assistance from experienced legal professionals used to handling claims of this sensitive nature.
Before pursuing any litigation by yourself, you should speak with a Connecticut delayed diagnosis lawyer to determine your best available course of action. Call today to schedule a meeting.
