Often the key to curing a disease is early diagnosis and treatment. Medical professionals diagnose many diseases and other health problems through a variety of tests, which lab technicians conduct and diagnosticians interpret.
Failure to order an appropriate test, a laboratory error while conducting a test or incorrect interpretation of test results can have dire consequences for the patient. It can result in delayed treatment, improper treatment or no medical treatment at all.
Lab errors and failure to order proper medical tests are forms of medical malpractice for which a patient who has been harmed may be entitled to compensation. If you believe you or a loved one has been harmed by a medical lab error or because proper medical tests were not ordered and conducted, it is important that you speak to an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney.
The technical aspects of medical testing and laboratory error cases require a sophisticated analysis and the review of medical records by lawyers and medical experts your lawyers know and trust. Joye Law Firm’s medical malpractice lawyers may be able to help you. Call Joye Law Firm at (888) 324-3100 or fill out our online contact form for a free review of your case.
Treatment Depends On Diagnostic Tests and Lab Work
Cancer is a prime example of a disease that is often diagnosed through testing. Biopsies, which are tissue samples, are obtained so that they may be examined for the presence of cancerous cells. The PSA test is used to diagnose prostate cancer. Mammograms create images of the breasts to detect signs of breast cancer. Blood and urine tests, X-rays, and CT or MRI scans are used to detect various cancers, as well as other diseases, infections and additional medical problems.
These tests do the patient no good if a doctor fails to order them. If the proper tests are ordered, a lab error by the technician conducting the test or interpreting the results can result in an improper diagnosis that causes a crucial delay in necessary medical treatment.
Many times emergency rooms doctors fail to order tests that could diagnose a patient’s disease. ERs have become overcrowded in recent years, and this has led to some personnel cutting corners to deal with the workload.
In some medical practices, physicians have become cautious to avoid charges that they order unnecessary tests and medical procedures as a means to avoid medical negligence lawsuits. This so-called practice of “defensive medicine” has come under fire by those who claim it drives up the cost of health care.
However, as the American Association of Justice points out, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said that “on the basis of existing studies and its own research, CBO believes that savings from reducing defensive medicine would be very small.”
Tests and lab work are a normal part of most proper medical examinations. Failure to order appropriate tests means that a doctor has failed to properly examine a patient. Lab work must be free of errors for a medical practice to be of any use to those who depend upon it.
If you believe treatment for your medical condition was delayed because certain diagnostic tests were not ordered or lab errors led to a missed, delayed or improper diagnosis, you should contact an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice lawyer.
When a medical professional, including a doctor, nurse, lab technician or a diagnostician, falls short of the standard of care in the treatment of a patient because of a failure to act or an error, and a patient is harmed, a case of medical malpractice may exist. Our medical malpractice lawyers at Joye Law Firm are prepared to investigate cases of patients who have been harmed while under medical care and pursue appropriate legal claims on their behalf.
Get Help With Medical Malpractice. Call Our Lawyers Today.
Medical malpractice cases typically involve the review and analysis of volumes of technical data pertaining to a patient’s treatment. Our South Carolina medical malpractice attorneys at Joye Law Firm have nearly 250 years of combined experience practicing law. Our medical malpractice team knows how to investigate cases, negotiate with insurance companies that represent doctors and medical centers and litigate malpractice cases in court.
Joye Law Firm can investigate your case and provide a fair and honest assessment of your options for a medical malpractice claim based on lab errors or the failure to order diagnostic tests. If our lawyers and medical consultants believe we can successfully pursue a claim for you, we will work diligently to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Just call Joye Law Firm. Phone (888) 324-3100 or use our online case evaluation form. We can provide a free and confidential initial consultation about the legal options available to you.
Sources:
- American Association of Justice – Medical Negligence: The Role of America’s Civil Justice System in Protecting Patients’ Rights
