Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Women’s Health and Misdiagnosis: Do You Have a Claim?

Published on: June 14, 2024 | By Flaxman Law Group

About 12 million Americans are misdiagnosed every year, but some groups are especially likely to suffer dangerous diagnosis delays and incorrect diagnosis in the doctor’s office and ER. Women are among those groups, with studies showing that women are more likely to be misdiagnosed when they have cancer, heart disease, and other potentially-life threatening conditions.

If you’ve been affected by misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group to find out how our boutique law firm may be able to help.

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Are Women More Prone to Misdiagnosis in Hollywood?

Published on: March 11, 2022 | By Flaxman Law Group

Research has shown that women are far more likely to be misdiagnosed when compared with men. Women are 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed if they have a heart attack and 30% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed after a stroke. In addition, conditions that affect women, such as fibroids or endometriosis, can take ten years or longer to accurately diagnose, even though these diseases affect one in ten women.

Doctors have an obligation to provide good care to all their patients, and that includes the half of patients that are women. When doctors do not take women’s care seriously and women suffer serious complications or fatalities, medical professionals can and should be held accountable.

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How Might COVID-19 Affect My Misdiagnosis Claim?

Published on: July 28, 2020 | By Flaxman Law Group

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, patients in Hollywood who suffered from misdiagnosis may have pursued a medical malpractice claim. These claims were possible if a doctor treating a patient did not meet expected standards of care and the patient was injured as a result. In cases of cancer and other deadly illnesses, a patient could possibly suffer significant harm and even fatalities because of a misdiagnosis.

With COVID-19, unfortunately, misdiagnosis continues to be a concern. The symptoms of COVID-19 include high fever, coughing, and respiratory problems. However, the illness is new and understanding of this coronavirus is imperfect. Authorities have found that some patients have a rash or have atypical symptoms. Some have no symptoms at all. This has made diagnosis difficult.

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Is Legal Action Possible in Cases of Suicide?

Published on: August 21, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Suicide can be one of the most devastating situations a family will face. Losing a loved one is always distressing, but having that loss be self-inflicted is often overwhelming. It’s common for surviving friends and family to have many questions: Could this have been prevented? Why did this happen?

Suicide often leaves clues. In many cases, a person will be diagnosed with depression and will be getting treatment for their condition. In some situations, someone who is considering suicide will reach out to mental health professionals, doctors, or other authorities. If they are getting help, friends and family may assume that their loved one is safe. It can make a sudden loss even more of a shock.

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Preventing Florida Misdiagnosis and Medical Mistakes

Published on: May 3, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, 98 000 people die each year across the country due to medical mistakes made in hospitals. Medical mistakes are an unfortunate problem with serious consequences. Cancer misdiagnosis in Florida, for example, can delay a treatment and can cause a death that could have been prevented. Florida misdiagnosis for other illnesses can cause complications when patients are given the wrong treatment. Preventable infections in hospitals and medicine errors can also cause serious complications and deaths. There are many things that can be done to stop these tragedies:

1) Greater awareness. When patients are aware of the risks of medical mistakes in hospitals and medical clinics, they often become more aware of their treatment, ask more questions, and stay alert. This can sometimes help prevent a misdiagnosis or problem.

2) A better system. Unfortunately, many medical facilities and medical professionals are reluctant to admit fault in cases of misdiagnosis and error, which means that such cases do not receive the investigations needed to prevent future problems. A system that holds doctors accountable and asks for changes could help reduce tragedies over time.

3) Florida medical malpractice cases. Unfortunately, it often takes legal action to shine a spotlight on problems with a particular hospital, clinic, or doctor. When families seek legal claims, judges often make recommendations to help prevent similar mistakes and problems in the future. Hospitals also are often forced to take steps as a result of litigation to improve patient safety.

4) Different legislation. In 2004, a bill of rights for patients was created in Florida and it was decided that doctors with multiple findings against them for patient safety violations would be punished. However, legislators can go further in protecting patients from harm.

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How to Prevent Medical Misdiagnosis

Published on: September 29, 2009 | By Flaxman Law Group

Patients visit medical professionals to get medical help and advice. Unfortunately, when medical professionals are negligent and reckless, misdiagnosis can occur. Misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor incorrectly determines a disease or a lack of disease. For example, misdiagnosis can occur when a doctor fails to find a cancer that is in a patient’s body. Misdiagnosis can also occur when a physician tells a patient they have one condition when in fact the patient is suffering from another condition.

Misdiagnosis can be devastating. If a physician misses a cancer present, for example, a patient can die because life-saving treatment is delayed. If a patient is misdiagnosed with cancer when no disease is present, the patient may suffer from many personal injuries and health problems while undergoing radical treatments. Getting the wrong treatment or medicine can make health problems much worse.

Responsible physicians want to give patients the best care possible and want to give the correct diagnosis each time. There are many things that patients can do to help their doctors avoid misdiagnosis:

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