Chicago Radiology Error Attorney

Diagnostic tests like X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds might only be as useful as the professionals who are interpreting the results. Unfortunately, patients could suffer severe injuries when health care professionals fail to treat the condition because of a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis revealed by tests at doctors' offices, hospitals, and emergency rooms.

It is reasonable to expect medical professionals to accurately identify injuries, medical conditions, and other identifiable concerns when performing these expensive tests. Because of that, you should not have to pay the bill for medical treatment associated with a failed diagnosis by health care providers.

Critical Medical Conditions Identified Through Imaging Scans

X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and imaging scans allow us to do what was once impossible— look beyond the external surface of the body and identify injuries and areas of concern below the skin.

These tests are beneficial to determine if an athlete or accident victim has a broken bone or diagnose the spread of an infection within the body.

Some serious concerns that can be identified through imaging scans include the following.

• Developmental problems throughout pregnancy - Identifying risks and potentially life-threatening conditions throughout pregnancy could allow doctors to reduce the risk of birth defects or birth injuries. For example, an ultrasound during labor could let doctors know that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the fetus' neck, resulting in an emergency response to save the child's life and prevent brain damage.
• Internal wounds, bleeding, or hemorrhaging - The failure to locate the internal wound and provide treatment can result in severe damage to internal organs or death if the patient is bleeding internally.
• Traumatic brain injuries - These types of injuries do not always present with symptoms initially. By the time patients do exhibit signs of an injury, the damage has become extensive. It is always advisable to undergo testing for a TBI following trauma to the head, regardless of how you feel. Early diagnosis of a brain injury might lead to a much more favorable prognosis.
• Development or spread of cancer - The survival rate of cancer patients in the early stages is exponentially higher than those whose cancer has progressed or spread to other areas of the body. Failure to diagnose cancer early on can become a death sentence, as most Stage IV cancers have survival rates under 20%. Examples include lung cancer and breast cancer.

Our Chicago radiologist malpractice attorneys were alarmed to discover through a study conducted in the British Medical Journal that over 40,000 patients die yearly because their doctors failed to diagnose their conditions. This alarming rate is simply unacceptable.

Doctors must take the time needed to examine and interpret the results of diagnostic tests so that their diagnosis can be accurate, and the treatment they recommend is appropriate to better well-being.

Doctors Are Not Solely Liable for Radiology Errors

You need to identify what went wrong and whose fault it is if your doctor failed to diagnose your condition. Without proof, you might seek compensation for your damages from the wrong party and decrease your chances of successfully resolving your lawsuit.

Before radiologists can interpret test results, the tests must be administered and then handled by lab technicians who could commit errors, skewing the results.

While mistakes are to be expected because of human error, it is reasonable to expect a lab to double-check results and ensure that tests are adequately performed before sending the results to your doctor.

Your doctor must then interpret the information correctly and diagnose your injury or medical condition so that you may receive the proper treatment.

Hiring a Chicago Radiology Error Malpractice Attorney

The Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC obtain compensation on behalf of our clients for the medical attention, pain, and suffering, and out of pocket expenses resulting from these radiological errors.

Our law firm handles cases involving medication errors, anesthesia errors, and surgical errors by medical experts trained to perform sonograms, mammograms, and chest x-rays.

Our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers currently represent clients throughout the United States, Illinois, and in Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, Will County, and Arlington Heights.

Radiology Malpractice Injury FAQs

$1,021,716 Verdict; Radiology Error Lawsuit; Cook County, Illinois

A woman in her late 50s with several pre-existing conditions, including diabetes, visited her doctor, who recommended she undergo an x-ray. The radiologist misread the results and did not identify a navicular fracture in her leg.

The patient continued using her leg while walking and standing, believing it was not broken. Eventually, she developed Charcot disease, hereditary disorders that caused damage to the nerves in the legs and arms.

The woman filed a civil lawsuit against the radiologist and imaging company. Her medical malpractice claim alleged that the radiologist negligently misread her X-ray and CT scan results, which led to her fracture, pain, increased risk of pain and amputation as well as costs, including over $20,000 in medical fees.

The defendants pointed the blame at her primary care physicians instead of taking responsibility. The imaging company and radiologist also replied that these issues were the result of her underlying conditions and had nothing to do with the services they rendered.

The defendants chose not to settle with the plaintiff and took their case to trial. A jury determined that the defendants violated the standard of care when they negligently misread her X-rays, which caused her not to receive proper treatment. The jury awarded over $1 million to the plaintiff.

$428,000 Verdict; Misread X-Ray Malpractice; Cook County, Illinois

The victim's physician ordered that he get an x-ray of his sprained hand that was misread by a radiologist. The doctor performed medical care and placed his hand in a splint before sending him home.

Later tests confirmed though that he had broken his hand. The delayed diagnosis meant that surgery could not reunite the bone.

Also, there was a deformity near the base of the hand and a collapsed space between the fingers, which was not promptly treated. Eventually, the victim developed arthritis and will need rehab and surgery in the future because of poor treatment.

The man sued the doctors and radiologists involved in these events. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant's medical negligence caused his injuries, disability, and costs. The defendants replied that they rendered adequate service, but that his problems pre-existed these circumstances.

The defendants stated that they believed the arthritis was a pre-existing condition he had before they provided care to the plaintiff. This fact-intensive matter was presented to a judge and jury.

The jurors found for the plaintiff and awarded a $428,000 verdict for lost normal life ($200,000), pain ($175,000), medical bills ($15,000), lost wages ($13,000), and disfigurement ($25,000).

$1,500,000 Settlement; Misread Ultrasound Malpractice; Cook County, Illinois

A female patient in her mid-40s had undergone a knee replacement on her left leg. A few months after that operation, the woman began feeling pain in the leg.

Technicians performed an ultrasound. However, the results did not identify her compartment syndrome condition. The misdiagnosis and a failure to treat the victim promptly led to a foot drop in her left leg.

The condition developed even though she had already undergone a thigh fasciotomy, where the surgeons cut the compartment open to allow the muscle to swell, restore blood flow, and decrease pressure.

The plaintiff's condition generated almost $250,000 in medical bills. In response, she filed a civil lawsuit against her medical providers after these developments.

She additionally lost almost $100,000 in time away from work and still had the pain, discomfort, and disability in her left leg. The medical team was unable to provide a sound defense and chose not to take the case to trial. All parties agreed to settle the case for a reported $1.5 million.

$425,000 Settlement; Misread Ultrasound Malpractice; Winnebago County, Illinois

The doctor misread a thirty-six-year-old woman's ultrasound results. The physician incorrectly diagnosed that the patient had a tumor that would stop her from getting pregnant.

The doctor began the corrective surgical procedure when he realized that she had adenomyosis, an inflammatory endometrium condition where tissue grows within the uterine wall. The condition does not prevent pregnancy.

The physician scarred and damaged her uterine lining during the unnecessary operation. This medical mistake was devastating and prevented her from carrying a child, forcing her to use a surrogate.

The medical malpractice victim sued the doctor, and the treatment center alleging their medical treatment did not comply with the standard of care in Illinois.

In a private settlement, she and her husband received $425,000 in compensation. About $120,000 of the compensation paid her medical bills, and about $60,000 of that was for the surrogacy costs.

Our Chicago, IL Radiology Malpractice Attorneys are Here for You

The award-winning Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent victims of medical malpractice across Illinois. If you have been injured or someone you care about passed away due to a medical error of this magnitude, our law office will fight on behalf of you or a loved one to ensure that your family receives justice and compensation.

Your medical malpractice lawsuit jury award or negotiated settlement will more than pay for the cost of your medical treatment, lost wages, out of pocket expenses, rehabilitative therapy, long term care, and pain and suffering.

Contact our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers now at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free) or through the contact form to arrange a free consultation with one of our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys. Our legal team accepts medical malpractice cases and wrongful death lawsuits.

Our lawyers work solely on a contingency basis, which means you are assured that you will never be required to remit payment until the case is successfully resolved. If we fail to secure compensation on your behalf, we will waive our fee for our services and time.

Let us file your personal injury compensation claim before the statute of limitations expires. All discussions you have with our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys during your free case evaluation will remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Call us today for a free consultation.

Please do not send sensitive information to our law office in a text message, email, or voicemail.

Resources:

National Institutes of Health Radiology Errors

Diagnostic Radiology Errors