Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers are representing the family of man whose spinal cord injury was undiagnosed. The man was admitted to Abington Memorial Hospital where he underwent a CT of the cervical spine. A radiologist at Abington reviewed the images and failed to recognize an abnormality shown on the cervical CT image. The man was discharged from the hospital two days later after the radiologist reported that there were “no fractures or suspicious bony lesions” and that he had suffered “no traumatic injury.” One week later, he began experiencing weakness in his legs and, unable to move, was taken back to Abington. Later that evening, he was emergently transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
He underwent multiple spinal surgeries at Jefferson, and was rendered a quadriplegic following the surgeries due to a spinal cord injury that was present but failed to be diagnosed and treated during his admission to Abington. Due to his injuries and subsequent care, Mr. Price became dependent on a ventilator and was later discharged to a rehab facility. As his condition worsened, he spent additional time at Jefferson and was later sent back to the rehab facility before he died as a result of complications related to the delayed diagnosis of his spinal cord injury.
Medical Malpractice Lawyers Say Failure to Diagnose, Delayed Diagnosis of Injuries Can Be Fatal
Research indicates that many patients suffer severe permanent injuries or death as a result of a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or a medical professional’s failure to diagnose a serious medical condition, researchers estimate. In most cases, diagnostic errors are preventable. However, failure to diagnose or a delay in diagnosing certain injuries or medical conditions can cause additional problems for the patient. Spinal cord injuries, cancer, infections, heart attacks, strokes and traumatic brain injuries are just a few examples of things that need to be diagnosed and treated immediately. These very serious injuries and medical conditions can progress quickly and cause further damage to the patient in a short period of time causing a more serious injury or death.
Patients should always seek the care of a medical professional and if necessary, get a second opinion even with what seems like a minor injury. Sometimes even those minor injuries can advance to a more serious or fatal injury id left undiagnosed and untreated. Patient advocates suggest that patients ask questions, go to all follow up appointments and request diagnostic testing. These things can help to create a better doctor-patient relationship, and aid in decreasing the changes of a delayed diagnosis or a medical professional’s failure to diagnose the patient’s injury.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey
The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling medical malpractice cases involving failure to diagnose, delayed diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of a medical condition resulting in serious injury or death. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, contact the medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.
