Most Massachusetts’s residents go to their doctors because a medical professional can offer him or her medical guidance and improve an ailment. We take what our doctors have to say for granted, assuming that they will be acting in our best interest. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Though we often forget it, doctors are also humans and this means they also make mistakes. Their mistakes, however, can lead to a worsened medical condition rather than an improved one.
One of the ways conditions end up worsened is if there has been a delay or a failure to diagnose a condition. It is this delay that has resulted in a condition that would not have happened if the diagnosis had been timely. Equally devastating is the situation where someone has been given medicine or treatment for a disease they do not have. This can be a result of misdiagnosis, but it does not always have to be. Doctors may negligently dismiss a symptom or consider it minor, failing to address it as further worsening the injury. Even where a diagnosis is correct, the treatment could end up being wrong.
One of the key questions to assess in this situation is if a reasonably capable doctor, acting in similar circumstances, would have considered that diagnosis given the symptoms. However, it is not always easy to prove the causality between a medical error and spread or worsening of condition. This can be overwhelming for someone who is already physically suffering because of someone else’s negligence.
It should not, however, daunt victims from getting the compensation they deserve. A worsened condition can require years of medical treatment and medicine and the medical bills can rack up as a result. A successful medical malpractice suit could be one way of getting compensation to cover those costs. This legal action could hold a negligent doctor accountable while also helping a harmed patient move on form the unfortunate incident.
