Seattle Misdiagnosis Attorneys

What Are the Various Types of Medical Misdiagnosis?

To determine whether or not you are a victim of misdiagnosis, we will look at your history with your doctor, the diagnoses you have been dealing with, and whether you feel you have been misdiagnosed based on your experience. 

Medical misdiagnosis can take many forms, including: 

• False Positives and Negatives: Medical samples can be contaminated, leading to either a failure to provide necessary treatment or misleading results that could put you in danger. This can also happen if your doctors ignore or overlook certain medications or underlying conditions that could affect the accuracy of medical tests.
• Diagnostic Errors: Errors in diagnosis occur when healthcare professionals fail to order the correct tests or misinterpret lab results, which could result in wrong diagnosis and treatment. These errors can cause severe harm or even death due to delayed treatment or incorrect treatment. 
• Delayed Diagnosis: Delayed diagnosis occurs when healthcare providers do not identify symptoms in time to effectively treat them, resulting in missed opportunities to treat a condition before it worsens or leads to permanent disability. Patients with delayed diagnoses often experience longer hospital stays, increased medical bills, and more expensive and serious medical treatment than they would have otherwise needed.
• Misinterpretation of Lab Results: This occurs when a mistake is made in interpreting the results of laboratory tests, such as blood tests, urine tests, and other diagnostic tests. This can lead to misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose an illness or condition, resulting in delayed treatment and potentially worsening health conditions for the patient. Misinterpreting lab results can also result in incorrect medication being prescribed, leading to further complications.
• Failure to Diagnose an Infection: Healthcare providers must recognize signs of an infection and order necessary tests to make the correct diagnosis quickly and accurately. Failure to do so can cause a patient's infection to spread rapidly, often with severe consequences such as organ failure or death.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Misdiagnosis?

The statute of limitations for misdiagnosis claims in Washington is three years from the injury or cause of action date. This means that any claim related to a misdiagnosis must be filed within three years of the date of injury or when the cause of action arose. 

You may be entitled to extra time through Washington's discovery rule, which allows you to file a claim or lawsuit for up to one year after discovering the issue or attributing it to negligence. For example, suppose a person was prescribed medication and finds out four years later that they were misdiagnosed and would have been better served with another drug or treatment. In this case, they may be able to file their claim after the three-year mark because they had no reason to believe they were misdiagnosed until after the statute of limitations had lapsed. 

It is important for anyone who believes they have suffered an injury due to misdiagnosis in Washington to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to ensure their rights are protected. We can review your case and determine if you qualify for the discovery rule on misdiagnosis claims. Additionally, we can help you navigate all other aspects of filing your claim so that it can be appropriately processed and evaluated for compensation or damages.