When Indiana residents go to the doctor, they hope that the doctor can find out what illnesses or ailments they’re suffering from. When everything goes well, the doctor is able to diagnose and treat the patient. Whether surgery or medicine is needed, the doctor is expected to provide treatment so that the patient can get on the road to healing.

Sometimes, however, a misdiagnosis occurs. A doctor may see a patient’s symptoms and assume that it’s one thing when it’s actually another.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PATIENT IS MISDIAGNOSED?

When a patient is misdiagnosed, there are several possible outcomes. The first would be that nothing happens. If it’s a simple, harmless ailment that’s been mistaken for another simple, harmless ailment, there may be no major issues. On the other hand, a condition that’s diagnosed as a simple ailment could actually be extremely serious. That type of misdiagnosis can lead to major health issues and even death.

In these types of cases, doctors might face serious medical malpractice issues for putting their patients’ lives at serious risk. Sometimes, these mistakes are not discovered for several years. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that it’s too late for the patient to get any sort of compensation and help. As long as there is a record of a misdiagnosis, a patient may be able to get the help they need for their doctor’s mistake.

WHERE CAN A PATIENT WHO’S BEEN MISDIAGNOSED TURN TO FOR HELP?

Patients who are dealing with a misdiagnosis may benefit by working with attorneys who have experience with medical malpractice cases. An attorney may be able to get their client the assistance they need to achieve a positive outcome.