Failure to Diagnose

Study finds Misdiagnosis is Top Complaint in Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Children

Published on: April 3, 2019 | by Arfaa Law Group

While you trust that your doctor will provide the utmost quality of medical care to your child, the unfortunate reality is that this does not always happen. Just like adults, children are often the victims of medical malpractice. If your child was injured or died as a result of medical malpractice, you need to consult a seasoned Baltimore medical malpractice attorney immediately. At Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to holding negligent medical professionals accountable and seeking the monetary awards that you rightfully deserve.

A new study released by The Doctors Company, a physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, finds that misdiagnosis is the main reason for medical malpractice claims involving children. A misdiagnosis involving either a missed, failed or incorrect diagnosis, typically caused by insufficient medical evaluations, is the number one allegation in medical malpractice claims involving children aged one month to 17 years. It is also the second-most common allegation in lawsuits involving infants younger than one month old.

The study analyzed 1,215 claims from the year 2008 to the year 2017 that were filed against doctors in 52 specialties. The allegations in each claim, as well as the factors that led to the harm, were documented in each case. For instance, poor communication between doctors and the patient or family played a role in 15 to 22 percent of claims depending on the age of the child. In addition, the report provides specific recommendations about how healthcare professionals can reduce the risk of harm to children.

Study Highlights Serious Deficiency of Sepsis Care in Hospitals in Maryland and Nationwide

Published on: March 12, 2019 | by Arfaa Law Group

If you or a loved one has developed sepsis while undergoing medical treatment, or suffered harm as a result of undiagnosed or improperly treated sepsis, it is imperative for you to contact a seasoned Baltimore medical malpractice attorney. At Arfaa Law Group, we work diligently to build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

The Study

According to a new study released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), three-quarters of US hospitals fail to provide appropriate care for sepsis. The study assigns traditional grades to the percentage of patients who receive proper care. Just 1 percent received an A, while a disturbing 74.8 percent of hospitals received a failing grade. CMS utilizes traditional school grades as opposed to a star rating system because the rationale is that it is a more accurate system. Consider the following: if a hospital only provides appropriate treatment 60 percent of the time, that is a failing grade, as opposed to three stars. The study examined data that CMS has recently released comparing hospital performance across the nation.

Colorado Woman Dies 9 Months After Healthy Kidneys Were Mistakenly Removed

Published on: February 21, 2019 | by Arfaa Law Group

Unfortunately, surgery errors injure countless patients in Maryland and across the country every year. When surgical mistakes injure a patient, the patient and his or her family are left guessing how such a mistake occurred and what legal options are available to them. If you have suffered harm and you believe it was because of a surgeon’s negligence, our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are devoted to holding negligent medical professionals accountable.

An elderly woman who had both her healthy kidneys removed in what she alleged to be an erroneous surgery recently died, nine months following the procedure. She suffered a cardiac arrest and remained unconscious before she was declared dead. After her kidneys were removed, the woman was going through several hours of dialysis three days a week and was waiting to get on the national transplant waiting list. Physicians then allegedly confirmed she never had kidney cancer at all. The hospital reportedly never indicated what led to the misdiagnosis. At that point, the woman filed a medical negligence claim against the hospital, claiming that she would not have agreed to have her kidneys removed if the doctors at the hospital had not strongly advised her to do so. The hospital may now be sued for wrongful death as well.

Malpractice Related to Crohn’s Disease in Maryland

Published on: January 24, 2019 | by Arfaa Law Group

Obtaining the correct diagnosis is vital to getting the right treatment for your health condition. If you have suffered due to a missed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, you may be entitled to compensation for any harm that you suffered. At Arfaa Law Group, our diligent Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys are devoted to providing you with the legal assistance you need in order to move on with your life.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that involves ongoing, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The condition affects the entire digestive tract and can be both painful and debilitating. Currently, there is no known cure for Crohn’s disease but treatment is administered in an effort to alleviate symptoms. Treatment can also potentially prevent a person from having to undergo surgery.

A few years ago, a Baltimore jury awarded a patient millions of dollars when doctors misdiagnosed an ulcer, prompting more than a dozen unnecessary surgeries that led to the patient’s Crohn’s disease flaring up. According to the complaint, physicians were negligent in failing to diagnose the patient’s symptoms as an exacerbation of Crohn’s without considering any other conditions that could have been at play.

Misdiagnosis of Fibromyalgia is a Common Medical Error in Maryland and Throughout the US

Published on: January 10, 2019 | by Arfaa Law Group

People who suffer from chronic pain face very real day-to-day challenges that are often dismissed by medical professionals simply because the symptoms cannot be seen. If you have suffered a diagnosis error related to fibromyalgia, you need a compassionate and understanding Baltimore medical malpractice attorney on your side. At Arfaa Law Group, we understand the impact that chronic pain can have on every aspect of your life and how negligent medical professionals can make that pain worse.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition that triggers pain all over the body, sleep issues, tiredness and often emotional and mental distress. Sadly, it is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions. According to one study by the National Institute of Health, misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia for another musculoskeletal disorder occurred in approximately 13.3 percent of the patients who were included in the study population. Another report indicates that as many as 2/3 of people are told they have fibromyalgia when they are actually suffering from another medical issue.

Individuals who have fibromyalgia are more sensitive to pain, fatigue and muscle stiffness than people who do not have the condition. In some cases, symptoms start after a physical trauma or significant event (i.e., psychological stress, surgery, infection, etc.) while, in other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no specific triggering event. Many people with this disease are unable to work and lead normal lives due to the pain. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, there are several treatment options such as pain management and medications that can improve a patient’s quality of life.

Failure to Diagnose Brain Infections Can Lead to Serious Injury in Maryland and Elsewhere

Published on: September 10, 2018 | by Arfaa Law Group

Diagnostic errors can lead to severe, even deadly. injuries. If a medical professional’s late or missed diagnosis harmed you, you need to reach a seasoned Baltimore misdiagnosis attorney as soon as possible. At Arfaa Law Group, we understand how difficult it can be to deal with medical malpractice, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion. To maximize your chances of recovery, we personally prepare every case for trial.

An Ohio woman was recently awarded millions of dollars after suffering severe injuries due to malpractice. M.D., a retired speech pathologist visited Firelands Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio complaining that she was not feeling well. After undergoing several scans and tests, she was given steroids to treat a brain tumor. The only problem was that she did not have a brain tumor. She had an infection growing in her brain, which deteriorated after doctors gave her steroids. Specifically, the steroids led to the infection getting worse and spreading to other parts of the brain, leaving her nearly incapacitated.

The family sued two neurologists, alleging that if the negligence had not occurred, M.D. would have been a healthy woman who would have walked out of the hospital herself in 2013. Now, she can no longer use her legs and the cost of her care is extremely high. The jury agreed with the plaintiff and awarded over $7 million in damages.

Johns Hopkins Evades Maryland Woman’s Medical Malpractice Claim Over Misdiagnosis of Rare Disease

Published on: September 4, 2018 | by Arfaa Law Group

A misdiagnosis can have severe and long-term consequences for a patient. If you have been hurt because a medical professional misdiagnosed your condition, you may be able to seek compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our diligent Baltimore misdiagnosis attorneys will evaluate the facts of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim.

A Maryland appellate panel has affirmed the mid-trial dismissal of a lawsuit accusing a Johns Hopkins Hospital doctor of misdiagnosing a woman with lung cancer instead of the rare disease she firmly believed she had contracted, and settling a quarrel over when the three-year statute of limitations began to run.

The facts of the case are as follows. M.M., an Arizona resident, contracted Coccidioidomycosis (commonly known as “Cocci” or “Valley Fever”) – a disease caused by a fungus germane to the semi arid areas of the southwestern states. In 2008, M.M. believed she experienced symptoms consistent with a Cocci infection. That same year, she and her husband relocated to Maryland where she sought treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her doctor there stated that he believed her symptoms were more likely due to lung cancer rather than Cocci. In fact, the doctor said there was a 90 percent chance that M.M. had lung cancer and stated the only way to treat it was to conduct a partial lung lobotomy. In 2009, a portion of M.M.’s lung was removed. It was later confirmed that M.M., in fact, did have a Cocci infection.

Radiologists Among Most Sued Medical Professionals, Study Says

Published on: August 14, 2018 | by Arfaa Law Group

A correct and timely diagnosis often depends on the accurate and timely interpretation of radiology reports. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. If you have been injured due to a radiology error, we may be able to help. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can investigate every aspect of your case and help you understand your legal rights and options accordingly.Radiologists are involved in 15 percent of diagnosis-related medical malpractice lawsuits, second only to those involving general medicine medical professionals, according to a new report produced by Boston-based medical professional liability insurer Coverys. The report analyzed more than 10,000 claims, identifying a total of 595 radiology-related malpractice claims from 2013 to 2017. The data show that 80 percent of all diagnosis-related claims stem from the misinterpretation of clinical tests. In addition, 80 percent of missed diagnosis lawsuits in radiology involve either permanent injury or death to the patient.

Radiologists play a critical role in correctly and accurately diagnosing patients. Among those radiology claims alleging diagnostic failure, cancer misdiagnoses were the most common, according to the report, with breast, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers being the most prevalent.

Study Finds Diagnostic Errors are Leading Cause of Medical Malpractice Claims

Published on: May 23, 2018 | by Arfaa Law Group

No one wants to be a victim of medical malpractice. While most doctors and medical professionals try their best to make a proper diagnosis, some make errors or miss things that can lead to serious harm. At Arfaa Law Group, we represent victims of medical malpractice, including cases of failures to diagnose or misdiagnoses. With years of experience, our Baltimore misdiagnosis attorneys understand how to protect your rights at every step of the way.

Errors relating to diagnosis were the largest source of medical malpractice claims between 2013 and 2017, according to a recent report published by malpractice service providers Corveys. The study reviewed 10,618 medical malpractice claims over the four-year time span. It found that 33 percent of malpractice claims were related to patient diagnosis, and half of those claims involved poor clinical decisions. Diagnosis-related malpractice claims beat out all other reasons for malpractice claims. While other causes of medical malpractice claims have decreased over the years, diagnosis-related claims have not.

There were many reasons for these types of errors. Approximately 33 percent of diagnosis-related claims took place due to the doctors failing to assess the patient properly, whereas 52 percent of the claims involved mistakes relating to lab testing. Physicians selected the wrong test, inadequately performed the test, or misinterpreted the results. Many times, doctors missed information that was contained in long files. In other cases, a misdiagnosis took place because doctors had too much work and too little time.

Maryland Ranked One of the Worst States for Doctors

Published on: April 2, 2018 | by Arfaa Law Group

Medical professionals have an obligation to be diligent when diagnosing and recommending treatment for patients. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. If you have suffered harm due to a health care provider’s misdiagnosis of your condition, the seasoned Maryland misdiagnosis attorneys at Arfaa Law Group can help. We understand how to navigate these cases and help seek the compensation our clients deserve.

A study recently released by WalletHub dubbed Maryland one of the worst states in the country for doctors. In fact, Maryland is the 7th worst state for doctors, ranking 44th out of the 51 states.

The study compared states on a number of metrics, including annual salaries, starting salaries, hospitals per capita, cost of malpractice insurance, hospital quality competition, and how much was awarded in malpractice per capita. In general, Maryland tends to have a higher cost of living, lower wages, and higher costs of malpractice insurance when compared to most other states. Other states that are in the top 10 worst states for doctors in 2018 include Illinois, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.