If you recently received a delayed or late medical diagnosis you may be wondering if this was unavoidable, or if it was medical malpractice. Learn more by watching this video, and if you have questions about a late medical diagnosis or delayed medical diagnosis in New York give us a call. We're happy to help.

FAQ: HOW DO I KNOW IF A LATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS IS MALPRACTICE?

One of our primary practice areas involves helping individuals who have received a late or delayed medical diagnosis. And if you've received a delayed medical diagnosis you might be asking yourself if the doctor made a mistake.

Late medical diagnoses are often not the result of medical negligence, but they can be. There are some things to consider when making that assessment.

First, did you treat with the diagnosing physician one time, or multiple times? If it was just once than it is very unlikely that that particular physician made an error.

If, however, you treated with that physician several times over the course of a year or multiple years, then you need to think about what sorts of treatment you were receiving. Was it for a single condition that you were concerned about (a lump, for example) or was it for more general well being.

If your treatment was for a single condition then the questions become more specific. Let's look at an example of an unidentified mass in the leg. What were the particular complaints/concerns that were conveyed to the doctor? What tests, if any, did the doctor perform? Was the doctor concerned about ruling out any condition or conditions?

Late or delayed medical diagnoses are most often the result of malpractice where the physician has failed to pay attention to patient complaints or concerns, has failed to appropriately observe a changing mass or condition, or has failed to consider alternative causes of a condition (i.e. a mass).

So, if you've received a late medical diagnosis and you're wondering if it was unavoidable or could have been the result of medical malpractice ask yourself these questions. If you look back and think that your concerns were ignored, or you did not receive any or the right tests you may want to speak with an attorney. Even if, ultimately, it is not a case of malpractice, at least you will know.

If you have questions about a delayed medical diagnosis give us a call. We speak with lots of people in difficult situations, and are always happy to help.