Medical Malpractice and Failure to Diagnose Heart Problems
Heart problems are a leading cause of illness and death in the United States. When heart problems are present, early diagnosis and treatment is vital to a successful recovery. Unfortunately, many heart problems go undetected due to a medical professional’s failure to diagnose the condition.
Medical malpractice describes neglectful medical treatment that results in further injury or damages for the patient. Neglect is a common cause of undiagnosed heart conditions. Attorney Lynn C. Harris fights on behalf of our Salt Lake City, UT, clients to hold medical professionals accountable for medical malpractice involving a failure to diagnose heart problems so that patients can be compensated for resulting damages.
Diagnosing Heart Conditions
Nearly every doctor’s appointment begins with a brief physical checkup that includes a reading of the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure. These exams may seem unnecessary to a patient who is seeing the doctor for cold or flu symptoms, for example, but any irregular readings could be indicative of more serious heart problems.
Many heart problems cause symptoms that could be mistaken for other illnesses, so medical professionals need to take any heart reading anomalies seriously, and conduct further testing if there are signs of a potential problem. There are numerous tests that can be useful in diagnosing heart problems:
- MRI
- Angiogram
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Echocardiogram
- Multiple-gated acquisition scanning (MUGA)
- Blood tests
- Chest X-rays
Proving Medical Malpractice
To prove that medical malpractice injured our Salt Lake City clients, attorney Lynn Harris must show that the treating medical professionals failed to provide the same standard of care that would have been met by a similarly trained doctor who was in the same situation. Often, this involves showing that necessary diagnostic testing wasn’t ordered, or that tests were conducted, but the results were misread. Expert medical witnesses are a good way to show that the medical care the patient received was neglectful or subpar.
Besides showing that our clients received medical care that fell below the expected standard, we must also show that they incurred additional damages because of subpar care. If a patient suffered a prolonged illness (or death), required more invasive medical treatment, incurred additional medical expenses, or experienced undue physical or emotional suffering because the heart condition was not diagnosed, that falls under the realm of medical malpractice.
Damages in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
When pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit, our Salt Lake City clients have the right to seek financial compensation for all damages related to the substandard medical care they received. Typical avenues of loss include the cost of medical expenses (including anticipated future expenses), lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If death occurs as the result of an undiagnosed heart problem, surviving family members can file a lawsuit on the victim’s behalf. Surviving family members can also seek compensation for losses related to the wrongful death, which may include lost income, lost benefits, and loss of consortium (loss of companionship).
Contact Us
If you believe that you have been a victim of medical malpractice related to failure to diagnose a heart problem, you should discuss the details of your situation with attorney Lynn C. Harris. Our legal team is ready to fight to get you the compensation you are due for your losses. To learn more, contact us at your earliest convenience, or call (801) 521-3200 to schedule a consultation.
