Orlando Attorneys for Victims of Misinterpreted Diagnostic Imaging Studies (MRI’s, CT Scans, X-Rays)
Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, diagnostic imaging studies are now available to help healthcare professionals diagnose our condition when we are injured or become ill. To be effective, however, the people interpreting those images must do so correctly. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
If you or a family member have been injured as a result of a healthcare provider’s misinterpretation of a diagnostic imaging study, such as an MRI, CT Scan, or X-Ray, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries or loss. At Bailey Fisher, we understand how interpretation errors can lead to serious, even fatal, injuries to a patient. With over half a century of combined experience fighting for the right of victims, our medical malpractice attorneys are committed to ensuring that the victims of medical errors are fully and fairly compensated for all of their injuries.
Medical Errors and Negligence in Florida
When we are hurt or sick, we turn to doctors and other healthcare professionals for help. We trust that they will provide an accurate diagnosis and formulate a successful treatment plan. The reality, however, is that healthcare professionals can make mistakes just like the rest of us. Not all medical errors rise to the level of medical negligence; however, when they do, the victim can suffer serious, even fatal, injuries. In fact, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Under Florida law, an error is medical negligence when a doctor or other healthcare professional commits a breach of the “standard of care.” The “standard of care” refers to whether another medical expert practicing in the same field as the doctor who committed the error would have done under the same circumstances. When a healthcare professional deviates from the accepted standard of care and that deviation causes harm, it could be the basis for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Diagnostic Imaging Tests
When a patient presents at a doctor’s office or hospital with injuries or illness, imaging tests are often ordered by the treating physician. These tests are frequently a critical tool in the diagnostic process because they help doctors confirm, or rule-out, a potential diagnosis.
An MRI, CT scan, X-ray, or ultrasound is often ordered by a physician because it allows a look inside a patient’s body, which can help to determine the underlying cause of the patient’s injuries or illness. Those tests are then interpreted by a radiologist and the results passed on to the treating physician.
Misinterpreting Diagnostic Imaging Studies
As useful as diagnostic imaging tests can be, they can also be very difficult to interpret, which makes them particularly susceptible to misinterpretation. When a radiologist studies the results of these tests, a patient’s health depends on interpreting them correctly. Misinterpreting the test results could mean anything from missing a malignant tumor to failing to diagnose a spinal fracture.
Failing to properly interpret a diagnostic test could result in:
- Missing a critical clue in the overall diagnostic process
- Misdiagnosing a patient
- Failing to diagnose an illness or injury
- Delayed diagnosis of an illness or injury
Ultimately, when a radiologist misinterprets test results it means that the physician treating the patient is much more likely to provide an incorrect diagnosis. That, in turn, can lead to the patient being treated for the wrong injury/illness or to the patient failing to receive treatment at all.
Who Is Responsible for Misinterpreting Diagnostic Images?
An actual radiologist should always take the time to carefully look over diagnostic images before reporting back to the physician who ordered the tests. However, when those images are ordered by an emergency room doctor or by a healthcare worker at a busy hospital, the reality may be that the supervising radiologist simply has little (or no) time to study each image ordered. Not surprisingly, that increases the risk of a misinterpretation.
When a misinterpretation of diagnostic imaging leads to additional injuries and/or illness, the radiologist, doctor, hospital, and other healthcare professionals involved from the moment the tests were ordered to the time the error was discovered may be potentially liable. One of the many reasons to consult with an experienced Orlando medical malpractice attorney is to ensure that all the at-fault parties are held accountable for the error.
Contact Orlando Medical Malpractice Attorneys to Hold Negligent Doctors and Other Healthcare Providers Accountable for Misinterpreting Your Diagnostic Imaging Studies
If you or a family member has suffered because imaging studies ordered to help diagnose your condition were misinterpreted, you may be able to hold the negligent parties accountable for their error with a medical malpractice law suit. The Florida medical malpractice attorneys of Bailey Fisher have extensive experience helping victims of medical malpractice and are committed to getting you the compensation you deserve.
As a victim of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include compensation for those things for which you can provide tangible proof of the cost, such as medical bills, lost wages, and decreased earning capacity. Non-economic damages are subjective and cover the emotional trauma, pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life of victims and their families.
Contact the experienced Orlando medical malpractice attorneys at Bailey Fisher to discuss how we can help you hold the responsible healthcare providers accountable for their negligence and obtain the compensation you deserve.