When you are feeling sick, you depend on doctors, emergency rooms, and hospitals to diagnose and treat your condition so that you feel better. If a medical professional fails to properly recognize and care for your medical problem, you may end up in a worse condition. You may suffer substantial injuries from this type of medical malpractice.
A lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may be able to assist you in seeking compensation for your injuries. Call (800) 794-0444 and learn how we can help you through this challenging time.
Common Undiagnosed Infections
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that an infection occurs when a germ, which may be a bacteria, virus, or other microbe, enters a body, multiplies, and creates a physical reaction. These germs can spread through contact with surfaces, skin, bodily fluids, and airborne particles. Some people are more susceptible to infections if they have weaker immune systems due to existing medical conditions.
Bacterial Infections
Bacterial infections can occur before you even see a doctor, but some may occur after a surgery or other forms of treatment or care. If a physician or other medical professional does not catch this infection, you or your loved one can suffer short-term and long-term effects on your health. In some cases, this can prove deadly.
Salmonella, E. coli, and streptococcus are some common examples of bacterial infections, which can result in food poisoning, urinary tract infections, and strep throat, among other conditions. Regardless of how the infection developed, you should not have to suffer from the negligence of a medical professional.
Viral Infections
When a virus enters the body, it attaches to a cell and multiples, resulting in a viral infection. Common viruses include the flu and HIV. Viral infections can impact all body systems, but often attack the lungs, the immune system, and the central nervous system, which can have severe complications.
If someone does not diagnose an infection accurately, you may receive no treatment, or even the wrong type of treatment. This can cause or prolong your illness, physical pain, and suffering.
Errors in Infection Diagnosis
According to the Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, recent studies show that medical errors may account for up to 251,000 deaths nationwide, making it the third-most-common cause of death. One common error is the failure to diagnose medical conditions, including infections. When left undiagnosed and untreated, infections can lead to significant injuries for patients, some of which are fatal.
Various circumstances can lead to a medical professional failing to diagnose an infection in a patient. The doctor may incorrectly interpret test results or inappropriately decline to refer the patient to an infectious disease specialist for evaluation.
Medical professionals may not adequately communicate important information about the patient to one another, fail to properly document symptoms in patient records, or decide not to order necessary diagnostic testing. All of these situations may lead to a patient with an undiagnosed infection, despite having sought needed medical treatment.
All people make mistakes, but medical professionals must exhibit a higher level of care in examining, diagnosing, and treating their patients. When they fail to appropriately spot an infection, they often worsen the chances of a successful recovery for their patients. Untreated infections can lead to multiple additional medical problems, often leaving patients in a worse physical condition than they were before.
For a free legal consultation with a Failure to Diagnose Infections Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Consequences of Undiagnosed Infections
In mild cases, the immune system can naturally fight off the infection. Medications also can combat the ill effects of an infection. However, an untreated infection can lead to serious consequences for patients whose immune system is unable to defeat it.
Treatment delays can lead to antibiotic resistance, which can make effectively treating bacterial infections much more challenging. Viral infections may overwhelmingly attack major body systems to the point that they completely fail. When medical professionals leave infections undiagnosed, patients may suffer devastating injuries.
For instance, untreated infections may lead to multiorgan failure, tissue damage, brain damage, and paralysis. In extreme situations, these complications can lead to coma or death. The physical, emotional, and financial toll of an undiagnosed infection can be great. If you or a loved one has suffered these injuries, you may want to get the advice of a Los Angeles failure to diagnose infections lawyer.
Los Angeles Failure to Diagnose Infections Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Deadlines for Filing Failure to Diagnose Infections Claims
All states have deadlines for filing claims based on the failure to diagnose infections and other instances of medical malpractice. Under CIV § 340.5, injury victims generally have one to three years from the date on which they suffered their injuries. Patients need to act within a year of the injury, but some effects may not show up in this time frame. Some patients can have three years from the date that their medical provider failed to properly diagnose and treat their infections if they do not realize they have injuries from this misdiagnosis.
Some exceptions to this general deadline or statute of limitations exist. For example, minor children typically only have three years to bring their claims, but if they are under the age of six at the time of their injuries, the law requires them to file their claims within three years or before their eighth birthdays, whichever period is longer.
Failing to meet this deadline can result in being unable to pursue any compensation for losses related to your injuries. As a result, discussing your alternatives with legal counsel as quickly as possible following your injuries may be beneficial.
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Failure to diagnose an infection can make your current medical situation worse. Medical professionals have a duty to properly diagnose and treat infections, and when they fail to do so, you may have legal recourse. A Los Angeles failure to diagnose infections lawyer may allow you to understand your legal options for seeking compensation from all parties responsible for your injuries.
At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we are here to take on your complex medical malpractice claims stemming from a failure to diagnose infections. You will pay nothing up front for us to handle your claim. Our fees will come out of any settlement that you receive for your injuries. Call our firm at (800) 794-0444.
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