News Category: Failure to Diagnose

Three major disease categories account for approximately three-fourths of all disability and deaths due to a failure to diagnose.  Those diseases include vascular events, infections, and cancer, according to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. Less common ailments also contribute to diagnostic failures, but more common diseases like stroke, sepsis, and lung cancer effects a greater number of patients.

There can be several different causes for a failure in diagnosis. Miscommunication between a primary healthcare provider and staff can exacerbate an error in diagnosis. Additionally, lab tests may be misinterpreted, or a physician may not identify an ailment with the appropriate amount of urgency. All of these factors can lead to devastating results for a patient.

Nephritis Misdiagnosis
13 jun
Florida Jury Finds Doctor Negligent for Medical Malpractice; Woman Awarded $15.9 Million

Stephanie Hollingsworth is used to sudden bursts of intense pain. She suffers from vasculitis, an autoimmune disease, and one of the symptoms is blood vessel inflammation causing severe muscle and joint pain. But one day in 2008, the suffering became unbearable. On November 21, ulcerations had formed on her feet and the aching in her

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Nephritis Misdiagnosis
01 jun
Idaho Jury Finds Urgent Care Clinic Liable for Man’s Paralysis; Family Awarded $7.96 Million

Shane Ackerschott could no longer ignore the intense pain coming from his back. He knew he’d injured himself while moving freight at his job. But he didn’t want to admit that it was bad enough for an emergency room visit. He also didn’t know the extent of the damage. In November 2014, however, the pain

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Nephritis Misdiagnosis
20 mar
Marion VA Medical Center Found Liable for Medical Malpractice; U.S. Veteran Awarded $1.93 Million

According to the American Cancer Society, one out of every nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Due to advances in treatment, only one in 41 will die. The key is an early diagnosis. Michael E. Gunter, a Vietnam War veteran, was lucky to survive his bout with prostate cancer,

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Mercy Hospital
06 dec
Mercy Hospital and Two Missouri Doctors Found Negligent for Misdiagnosis; Jury Awards Plaintiff $12,820,990

Mercy Hospital and Two Missouri Doctors Found Negligent for Misdiagnosis; Jury Awards Plaintiff $12,820,990 Vincent Lowe woke up on April 30, 2014 in agonizing pain. He tried to endure the discomfort in his abdomen, but when the throbbing became unbearable Lowe was rushed to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital, located in Washington, Missouri. The

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Minnesota Jury Finds Nurse Negligent for Wrongful Death
20 sep
Minnesota Jury Finds Nurse Negligent for Wrongful Death; Awards Family $20,000,000

Minnesota Jury Finds Nurse Negligent for Wrongful Death; Awards Family $20,000,000 Nicole Bermingham gave birth to her first child in August 2013. She was discharged after the successful delivery and was happy to bring her baby boy home. But something was not quite right. She complained of pain in her pelvic region and her back.

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Geisinger CMC
28 aug
Two PA Doctors and Medical Center Settle Malpractice Lawsuit for $3.5 Million

On February 6, 2012, Kristine Coleman felt a sharp pain shoot down her left arm. The sensation lingered and Coleman, then 41, was rushed to the Geisinger Community Medical Center. Coleman told the attending physicians that she was experiencing pain from her left shoulder all the way to her left hand. The medical center staff

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Marlande Lazard
17 may
Florida Doctor & Signet Found Negligent for Misdiagnosing a Woman’s Breast Cancer; Marlande Lazard Awarded $21.6 Million

After Marlande Lazard moved from Haiti to Miami 26 years ago, she began traveling back to the Caribbean island on medical missions, determined to teach women there how to check themselves for breast cancer. So, four years ago when she felt a lump on her chest, she knew that she needed to go to the

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Newsome | Melton cases
01 may
Ohio Family Sues Over Alleged Negligence that Led to the Death of Michael R. Gillen

On a Friday in April 2016, Michael R. Gillen woke up with a fever, a cough, congestion, and an aching body. That night as his symptoms worsened he was brought to the Holzer Clinic, his local medical provider in Ohio. Doctors at the clinic found that he had a temperature of 102.2 and tested him

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Newsome | Melton cases
19 apr
Deceased Architect’s Estate Settles for Nearly $1 Million Over Doctor’s Alleged Negligence

In the beginning of 2008, Robert Jackson Miller III, an ivy-league graduate and successful architect based out of New York City, went to a dermatology appointment for a routine checkup. He had recently co-founded Miller & Wright Architects and his work had already been featured in Architectural Digest, the New York Times, and the Wall

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Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Increasing Against New Hampshire Hospital
30 mar
Phoenix VA Facility Declared Negligent; Cooper Awarded $2.57 Million

During Steven Harold Cooper’s prostate exam at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in December 2011, the nurse who administered the assessment found irregularities. But according to a malpractice lawsuit the nurse failed to order more testing or recommend a specialist. This alleged failure delayed Cooper’s diagnosis by almost a year and, by that time,

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If you become more injured and your healthcare provider is at fault, you need someone who is going to be on your side to help you through this difficult event. Insurance companies often do not have your best interests in mind when trying to negotiate a settlement. That’s why having an experienced medical-malpractice attorney on your team can be a valuable asset. Review our materials and contact us today.