Wrong Diagnosis
Medical Mishaps: Wrong Diagnosis
We are all human and even those who hold our lives in their hands make mistakes. While the majority of doctors and other healthcare professionals entered their profession as a result of their desire to assist humanity and hold your health and happiness in high regard, mistakes simply do happen. If the mistake is an incorrect appointment time or strapping on a blood pressure monitor a bit too tight, well, we can all live with that. If the mistake is a more serious medical blunder however – such as a wrong diagnosis that leads to complications and puts your life in jeopardy – then you have a deserved right to claim compensation from the professional in question.
Of course, this is usually ‘far easier said than done’ and, as laypersons, we have almost no idea of the lengthy and complicated legal tangle it become if we don’t approach the matter correctly from the start. This is why, if you know or suspect you have been given a wrong diagnosis, you should strongly consider a second opinion of your condition or approach medico-legal professionals, such as Adele van der Walt Attorneys, to have your matter investigated and assessed so that you know where you stand when it comes to making an official complaint.
While the matter of a wrong diagnosis may sound innocuous enough, the results can be devastating. The medication or treatments prescribed for an incorrectly diagnosed condition may either not work at all, or, as in many cases, may have seriously adverse side-effects that could worsen your actual condition, sometimes even leading to death. As a patient in South Africa, you have a right to proper medical treatment and you therefore have a right to be fairly compensated should something go wrong.
The emotional, physical and financial losses that you could suffer as the result of a wrong diagnosis must be properly assessed and calculated by an experienced medico-legal professional. Contact Adele van der Walt Attorneys Inc today to find out more your legal pathways.
For more information on this subject, please give us a call at 012 460 3668 (SA) or e-mail us at clare@avdw.co.za
