A staggering number of patients suffer needlessly each year when doctors and healthcare professionals fail to diagnose serious medical conditions properly. The consequences can be devastating—permanent disability, loss of crucial treatment time, even wrongful death.
If you or a loved one has suffered because of a diagnostic error, you may feel betrayed, angry, and uncertain about where to turn. At Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC, we understand the immense physical, emotional, and financial toll a failure to diagnose can take. Our Seattle medical malpractice attorneys are here to listen to your story compassionately, thoroughly investigate what went wrong, and fight for the justice and compensation your family deserves.
Helping Seattle Families After a Failure to Diagnose
For decades, the dedicated attorneys at Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC have been a beacon of hope for patients and families in Renton, Seattle, and across Washington whose lives have been devastated by failure to diagnose medical malpractice. Our firm has a long and successful track record of holding negligent doctors and healthcare facilities accountable for diagnostic errors, fighting tirelessly to secure justice and maximum compensation for the injured throughout the Evergreen State.
In one particularly sad case, we represented the widow of a 29-year-old man who died due to a clinic’s failure to diagnose his diabetes. The clinic denied responsibility, so we filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against them on behalf of the man’s widow and infant daughter. The case went to trial, where a jury awarded the family more than $1.15 million. The jury’s award provided financial security for the deceased man’s family.
In another case, we took Valley Medical Center (Renton) and Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) based in North Carolina to trial for not following protocol regarding genetic testing in determining a profound genetic birth defect. A jury awarded the parents $50 million due to the incorrect determination. The Court of Appeals upheld the $50 million dollar verdict, the largest medical negligence verdict in the State of Washington.
The Dire Consequences of Diagnostic Errors
When doctors miss the warning signs of a serious condition like cancer, heart attack, stroke, or infection, the results can be catastrophic. Patients may endure unnecessary pain, undergo invasive treatment that could have been avoided, and lose precious time in getting appropriate care. In the most tragic cases, failure to diagnose leads to the preventable loss of life. No family should have to experience such a profound trauma because of a medical provider's carelessness.
Diagnostic errors can occur in several ways:
The doctor arrives at the wrong diagnosis, either by mistaking one condition for another or focusing on a non-existent illness while failing to recognize the real medical problem. For example, a patient admitted to the ER with chest pains may be misdiagnosed with acid reflux and sent home when, in fact, they are suffering a heart attack.
The doctor eventually reaches the correct diagnosis, but the unreasonable delay leads to significant harm that could have been prevented with prompt recognition. This might occur if a suspicious skin mole is noted, but no biopsy is performed for many months, allowing melanoma to spread unchecked.
In this scenario, the doctor completely misses a critical diagnosis, often by failing to order appropriate tests, ignoring concerning symptoms, or not referring the patient to a specialist. Imagine a child with unrelenting stomach pain, vomiting, and weight loss who is never evaluated for appendicitis until a life-threatening rupture occurs.
All of these diagnostic missteps stem from a breakdown in the accepted standards of care. When you entrust yourself or a family member to a medical professional, you have every right to expect a comprehensive assessment, careful follow-up, and referral for concerning symptoms. Anything short of that may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
Commonly Missed Diagnoses
While a missed diagnosis can occur with virtually any condition, studies show certain diseases are more prone to dangerous diagnostic delays. Some of the most underdiagnosed conditions are:
High cholesterol
Cancer
Chronic kidney disease
Depression
Sleep disorders
Celiac disease
Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Sexually transmitted diseases
Asthma
Preeclampsia
Bipolar and other serious mental disorders
But please know this: Whether your family is contending with a commonly missed diagnosis or a more unusual error, you deserve answers.
At Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC, we have extensive experience investigating and litigating a wide range of complex diagnostic error cases. We will pour over medical records with a fine-toothed comb, consult with top medical experts, and piece together the critical details to build the strongest possible case on your behalf. Sharing your story and learning your legal options will cost you nothing because we offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency basis.
What Constitutes Negligence After a Failure to Diagnose?
Not every diagnostic error is the result of medical malpractice. Doctors are human, and medicine is an inexact science. To have a viable medical malpractice claim, our medical malpractice attorneys must demonstrate:
A doctor-patient relationship existed.
The doctor breached the standard of care by failing to arrive at the correct diagnosis within a reasonable timeframe.
You suffered harm due to the failure to diagnose.
At our Seattle injury law firm, we thoroughly understand these legal elements and have a track record of success in establishing diagnostic negligence. While no amount of money can undo the harm you've suffered, it can help alleviate financial burdens, secure quality treatment going forward, and provide a sense of accountability for wrongs.
Pursuing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
If you believe that medical malpractice occurred after a failure to diagnose or a misdiagnosis, it's natural to feel hesitant about taking legal action. You may doubt your instincts or worry about filing a lawsuit against your physician. Please don't let these worries stop you from exploring your rights.
At Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC, we strongly believe in empowering patients to stand up against harm. We offer free, no-obligation case evaluations to help you understand your legal options in a caring, low-pressure environment. Should you decide to pursue a claim, our legal team will guide you through every step with the utmost compassion and transparency so you can focus on healing.
Contact Our Seattle Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today
If you believe that you or someone you love has suffered needlessly because a doctor failed to diagnose a medical condition, please don't carry that burden alone. Turn to the caring injury lawyers at Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC today for a free consultation.
You have nothing to lose and potentially much to gain in standing up for your rights. Together, we can work to prevent future diagnostic catastrophes and forge a path toward justice, healing, and hope.
