How Misdiagnosing MRI Results Constitutes Medical Malpractice

Nancy Winkler | 888-644-4288 | Free Consult

If a doctor delays performing an MRI or misdiagnoses the results of an MRI resulting in harm or injury to the patient, does that constitute medical malpractice? If so, what can you do to protect yourself and your family from further damages?

Nancy Winkler is a partner at Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C based in Philadelphia. In this Quick Question, she explains how delaying an MRI or misdiagnosing MRI results can lead to medical malpractice if the doctors fail to spot and treat a worsening condition.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-644-4288 or by submitting a contact form on this page. The consultation is free and confidential, and you owe no out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Medical malpractice occurs when the exercise of medical judgment is done negligently, causing injury or damage to the patient.

This includes failing to provide a reasonable degree of skill and care to a patient. If a medical professional’s treatment fails to meet something called the standard of care, that could result in medical malpractice. So, for example, if a medical professional fails to perform an MRI or diagnose the results from an MRI within an acceptable standard of time, and the patient suffers further injury or harm as a result, that medical professional may have acted with negligence and committed medical malpractice.

When a delay in performing an MRI causes harm, it might be a case of medical malpractice.

Under certain conditions, when an MRI is delayed and harm appears to come to the patient as a result, that patient may have the right to a medical malpractice claim. However, this is not always the case. Circumstances surrounding this type of medical malpractice are complex and can be hard to prove, so it’s wise to seek legal counsel if you think this situation applies to you. An attorney will be able to begin an investigation into the events surrounding your delayed MRI and diagnosis and figure out whether you are eligible for a medical malpractice claim, which could pay for damages that occurred as a result.

The medical community does not always hold its own people responsible.

Unfortunately, even doctors who have taken an oath not to harm a patient may do so as a result of negligent choices, whether through intention or an inexcusable lack of attention to detail. Other times, medical malpractice may occur due to insufficient staffing, defective technology, and/or other oversights on behalf of the hospital or greater healthcare authority involved. It’s safe to assume that if you suffered as a result of a delayed MRI and diagnosis, your doctor may not be fully straightforward with you regarding that.

This is why it’s essential for victims of medical malpractice to come forward and do what they can to hold the medical community accountable for the way it polices their doctors and other healthcare professionals. One victim filing a medical malpractice claim due to a delayed MRI and diagnosis could protect countless others from being harmed in a similar situation.

It costs nothing to contact a personal injury attorney.

In fact, most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, which means they don’t get paid unless they win your lawsuit, in which case they are paid a previously agreed-upon percentage of the winnings. Taking action and seeking justice for yourself or your loved one could protect future patients who might otherwise have been subject to harm from the same medical malpractice.

To learn more, contact Nancy Winkler directly by calling 888-644-4288 or by submitting a contact form on this page. The consultation is free and confidential, and you owe no out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Video Transcript:

Rob Rosenthal:
Here’s a Quick Question from AskTheLawyers.com: How do you know if your delayed MRI scan becomes a case of malpractice? Attorney Nancy Winkler of Philadelphia has this answer:

Nancy Winkler:
If you would have an MRI that shows that there is an aneurysm, okay, for example, and there was a delay in diagnosing that and that aneurysm burst because of the delay, then it could be a malpractice claim.
So any time that the delay in the performance of the MRI causes harm that is potentially, and I say potentially, a malpractice claim and you should seek counsel to have it investigated further with an expert.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.