Gray and White Law's Louisville Personal Injury Blog

Misinterpreted Mammogram Can Mean the Difference of Life or Death

A mammogram is one of the most effective ways to catch breast cancer.  If this illness is treated in its early stages, the prognosis is often great for the patient.  However, sometimes mistakes are made by medical professionals and mammograms are either misread or not properly communicated.  As a patient, this is a matter of life or death.

There are two basic forms of mammograms, screening mammogram and diagnostic mammogram.  A diagnostic mammogram is utilized when there is a suspicion of breast cancer either from a breast lump, breast mass, thickening or nipple discharge.  Within the medical field, there is a standardization when it comes to mammogram reading, which aid in determining the probability of malignancy and need for further testing.

As with most things, the mammogram is only as good as the person who interprets it.  Too often radiologists misread these important imaging results or fail to communicate the findings to the doctors.  Also, there have been cases where the mammogram results were misfiled or lost without ever being read.

If you or a family member had a delayed breast cancer diagnosis due to a misread mammogram, you may be entitled to compensation.  You should contact a Louisville medical malpractice attorney at Gray and White Law today at (502) 637-6000 or (800) 637-6033 for legal advice.

Failure to Diagnose Breast Cancer Leads to Large Medical Malpractice Verdict

The nearly $24 million verdict was awarded Friday afternoon to Courtney and Robert Hill, residents of DeSoto County.

Hill's lawsuit claimed her doctor, Dr. Claudia Moise, and her clinic, OB-GYN Specialists P.C. of Memphis, failed to diagnosis a lump Hall complained about over the course of 18 months.  The lump turned out to be breast cancer.

"All that Courtney hopes is that it will help physicians remember that further testing is required," said Hill's attorney, Will Railford."

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Medical negligence and errors are a too common occurrance and can lead to serious health consequences and even death.  The law firm of Gray and White Law represents victims of medical malpractice.  If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of medical negligence or error, please contact the experienced legal team at Gray and White Law for a free consultation.

Who is Responsible for an Undiagnosed Diabetes Case?

Diabetes frequently goes undiagnosed because of the harmless symptoms associated with this medical condition.  It is believed that more than 6.3 million people suffer from undiagnosed diabetes.  Doctors sometimes fail to recognize the signs of diabetes, which is unfortunate since early detection can reduce the risk of developing complications.

Undiagnosed diabetes can lead to vision loss, heart disease, stroke and amputation.  Children are frequently the victims of undiagnosed diabetes, which can cause significant weight gain.  Even though it is rare, undiagnosed diabetes can result in death.  That is why it is vital that physicians promptly diagnose and treat this disorder.

Physicians can be held liable for undiagnosed diabetes cases.  It is the responsibility of the medical professional to follow the appropriate diagnosis process and to provide an acceptable standard of care. 

If you have been injured from undiagnosed or misdiagnosed diabetes, you may be able to file a Kentucky malpractice claim against the negligent medical provider.  Contact a Louisville medical malpractice attorney today at Gray and White Law at 502-637-6000 or 800-637-6033 for legal advice.

Louisville, Kentucky Misdiagnosis Cases

When cancer or a heart attack goes undiagnosed, the outcome for the patient can be catastrophic.  Doctors are supposed to follow a certain process when diagnosing a condition and when they fail to take the time to review the patient’s symptoms, signs of disease and test results, it can cause them to misdiagnose the patient.  If a doctor fails to provide a standard level of care, he or she can be held responsible and it can be grounds for a Louisville medical malpractice lawsuit.

There are many conditions that are frequently misdiagnosed, including heart attack, cancer, stroke and diabetes.  A failure to diagnose case can lead to more health complications for the patient and in some situations, death.  Many of these conditions, if detected early enough, can be properly treated and the patient can go on to live a full life.

A misdiagnosis case is usually considered to be medical malpractice.  If you have been injured by a negligent doctor or hospital or if you lost a loved one because the doctor misdiagnosed cancer or another ailment, you may be able to file a Kentucky medical malpractice lawsuit.  Contact a Louisville medical malpractice attorney today at Gray and White Law at (502) 637-6000 or (800) 637-6033 for legal advice.

South Carolina Family Obtains $3 Million Settlement From Doctors From Fatal Failure to Diagnose

Lawyer Chad McGowan told The Herald of Rock Hill that the settlement still must be approved by a judge. The money will go to Heather Sloan's three children.

The lawsuit said Sloan went to the Chester Regional Medical Center emergency room in March 2005 complaining of abdominal pain, but the person reading a CT scan didn't see a problem and she was sent home.

The suit said Sloan returned to the emergency room two more times before doctors operated and found the twisted intestine. She died later that night."

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Medical negligence and errors are a too common occurrance and can lead to serious health consequences and even death.  The law firm of Gray and White Law represents victims of medical malpractice.  If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of medical negligence or error, please contact the experienced legal team at Gray and White Law for a free consultation.

When Doctors Misdiagnose a Heart Attack

An undiagnosed heart attack can lead to serious health complications and even death.  If you or someone you love has had a heart attack that was not properly diagnosed by the doctor, you need to know your legal rights.

Every year, half a million people in the United States die of heart attacks.  A percentage of these deaths could have been due to undiagnosed heart attacks.  Even though it is hard to determine the amount of deaths caused by misdiagnosed heart attacks, doctors believe that the number is high.

Despite advances in diagnostics and medical protocols, many heart attacks are still missed.  A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that one in 50 heart attack victims are sent home by emergency room doctors by mistake.  Some studies have shown this rate to be even higher.

Usually measures can be taken by doctors and hospitals to help save the life of someone experiencing a heart attack.  Unfortunately, if the heart attack is misdiagnosed, these measures are not taken and sometimes the patient’s life is lost. 

Misdiagnosed heart attacks make up the largest percentage of malpractice settlements.  A doctor or hospital can be held liable when negligence was involved.  Missed heart attacks are often the result of errors in diagnosis.  One doctor was quoted in an article as saying that even the best physicians can easily miss cases. 

If you or a family member had a misdiagnosed heart attack, you may be entitled to compensation.  You should consult with a Kentucky medical malpractice attorney who can review your case to determine if malpractice existed.  The medical malpractice lawyers at Gray and White Law have extensive experience in this area of law and can help you recover the compensation you deserve.  Call us today at (502) 637-6000 or (800) 637-6033 for advice regarding your case.

The article, Misdiagnosed Heart Attacks Cause Deaths in the United States, has more information on this subject.