Can I Sue if a Doctor Failed to Diagnose My Condition in Tennessee?

A missed or delayed diagnosis can leave you struggling with worsening symptoms, complications, and extensive medical bills. When a healthcare professional fails to recognize a serious illness or injury, you might be wondering what your legal rights are. Dealing with the impact of a missed diagnosis is stressful enough without trying to navigate complex medical malpractice laws on your own. It is crucial to understand that you have legal options available to seek compensation for the harm you have suffered. To learn more about whether you can sue after your doctor failed to diagnose your condition, continue reading and contact a Memphis medical malpractice lawyer to schedule your free case evaluation today.

Why Do Some Conditions Get Missed or Misdiagnosed?

Some medical conditions are more frequently missed or incorrectly identified based on the nature of the ailment. Whether they share symptoms with other common issues, are extremely uncommon, or require extensive and rarely used tests, the following conditions are often missed or diagnosed late.

• Cancer
• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Infections and sepsis
• Fractures
• Internal injuries
• Autoimmune disorders

Some conditions may also be overlooked or diagnosed late because of rushed appointments, a failure to order appropriate tests, reliance on incomplete or inaccurate patient history, or a breakdown of communication between providers. Regardless of the reason, delayed or missed diagnoses can have serious consequences.

Can I Sue if a Doctor Failed to Diagnose My Condition in TN?

Yes, you may be able to sue a doctor or healthcare provider in Tennessee if their failure to diagnose your condition caused you harm. However, it’s not enough that they simply missed something. For a missed diagnosis to be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit, you have to prove a few important things.

First, you must show that your doctor’s behavior fell below the accepted standard of care. This means a reasonably skillful doctor in the same situation would have correctly diagnosed your illness. If they ignored clear symptoms or failed to order necessary tests, this could be true.

You also must prove that the missed or delayed diagnosis directly led to a worse outcome for your health, like the disease progressing or requiring more invasive treatment. If the doctor’s mistake didn’t actually cause you injury or worsen your condition, then you may not have a valid claim. You must be able to establish negligence and the resulting damage.

Essentially, a failure to diagnose may be a valid claim for a lawsuit if your condition should have been recognized earlier, the delayed diagnosis caused your condition to worsen, and earlier treatment would likely have improved your outcome. If the condition was particularly rare or difficult to detect, you may not be able to establish liability.

To learn whether you have a valid medical malpractice claim, reach out to a skilled attorney at Ballin, Ballin & Fishman, PC for more information today.