Missed diagnoses are a common form of medical malpractice

Going to the doctor for an illness or an injury is fairly common in Delaware. Unfortunately, just because something is common does not mean that it is safe. Acts of medical malpractice such as incorrect diagnoses and surgical errors actually occur much more frequently than most people realize, and protecting oneself can be surprisingly difficult.

Receiving necessary and even lifesaving medical treatment is impossible when a doctor incorrectly diagnoses a patient or ignores his or her symptoms altogether. While this can happen to anyone, delayed and missed diagnoses are especially problematic for women. Many doctors attribute women’s symptoms to little more than psychological problems, and male bodies are typically used as the standard in medical school.

Surgical errors can further exacerbate existing medical issues or cause new problems altogether. Depending on the error, a patient might realize right away that something is wrong or it could take time for more serious symptoms to develop. A few examples of surgical errors include:

• Removing the wrong organ
• Performing an unnecessary surgery
• Leaving a surgical tool behind
• Operating on the wrong side of the body

It does not matter whether someone’s doctor missed a serious diagnosis or made a serious mistake during surgery — the outcome can be disastrous either way. Victims of medical errors usually have to deal with worsening physical health and mountains of medical bills, not to mention the emotional trauma of going through such an ordeal. This is why some victims in Delaware choose to pursue compensation for their injuries, which is often accomplished through a successful medical malpractice claim.