Missed Diagnoses in Radiology: When “Normal” Imaging Results Create Medical Malpractice Liability

Doctors and radiologists, although well-trained and dedicated, are human beings capable of making mistakes. Unfortunately, missed diagnoses in radiology can lead to a lot more than just extra appointments and problems with your insurance carrier. When radiology results incorrectly come back as “normal,” patients can face delayed treatments, rapidly progressing health problems, or even wrongful death.

If you or a family member is suffering injuries, illness, or stacks of unpayable medical bills due to the consequences of an erroneous diagnosis at a Michigan radiology clinic or imaging center, you have the right to take legal action. It can be difficult to plan and carry out a legal claim when you’re already dealing with so much. When you hire a medical misdiagnosis lawyer to manage your case, you free up your own time and emotional bandwidth to focus on healing.

If You’ve Been Hurt by Radiology Errors in Michigan, Hire a Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyer

A well-qualified medical misdiagnosis attorney isn’t just someone who helps you file papers at the courthouse and shows up on the date of scheduled hearings. The talented and dedicated Michigan medical malpractice lawyers at Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, can offer you highly effective legal support in a comprehensive, end-to-end way. We can:

• Collect and organize compelling evidence to support your case, including powerful witness testimony when applicable.
• Build a fully personalized legal strategy to perfectly match your unique circumstances and goals in seeking legal representation.
• Explain Michigan’s complex medical misdiagnosis laws to you, answer all your other critical legal questions, and do so in a timely and straightforward fashion.
• Move your case through the system. We can use our advanced knowledge of personal injury law, the relevant aspects of the medical field, Michigan’s corporate healthcare system, and the tactics used by insurance agents to minimize or deny claims to advance your case.
• Fiercely advocate for your rights at every turn, whether that involves litigation in a court of law or highly assertive negotiation techniques.
• Explain medical misdiagnosis penalties, legally compensable damages, and other details of the medical malpractice claim process. That way, you can have a practical understanding of what abstract terms like “seeking justice” actually mean in your case.

The Real Cost of Radiology and Imaging Errors in Michigan

When we go to a hospital, we expect our doctors to take good care of us. In fact, that expectation is a key part of a functional healthcare system. The troubling reality, of course, is that mistakes can, and do, happen in hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers throughout every region of Michigan. The results for affected patients can sometimes be severe, even when the mistake is made during an MRI, CT scan, or X-ray reading, rather than on the operating table.

To provide an unsettling real-world illustration, The Detroit Free Press recently reported on a radiologist who was active right here in Michigan, despite having already been disciplined in 7 other states for misdiagnosing patients. Some of these misdiagnoses were linked to severe illnesses and even tragic fatalities.

This one chilling anecdotal example aside, such errors are common enough that the Radiology Society of North America says the majority of radiologists face litigation at some point in their careers. At the root of these legal actions, the second most common type of error is communication failure, which is often associated with missed, delayed, misunderstood, or misinterpreted diagnoses.

When Good Scan Results Are Actually Medical Malpractice

Here is a generic example scenario where someone goes to a radiologist for diagnostic scanning and receives a clean bill of health, yet the situation still potentially qualifies as medical malpractice:

1. The patient, complaining of abdominal pain, visits an emergency room and is sent for imaging at a radiologist.
2. The radiologist takes X-rays, analyzes them, and concludes that the issue is only minor chest congestion. They send the patient home, telling them that their health is normal and that they should feel fine with rest and ibuprofen.
3. The patient later learns that they actually have an aggressive tumor, which has spread dramatically in the time it took to get a second, correct diagnosis.
4. If the original image results and other evidence prove that the first radiologist’s failure led directly to actionable legal damages, like medical bills and emotional suffering, the situation may qualify for a medical malpractice claim.

FAQs About Michigan Missed Diagnoses in Radiology

When Can a “Normal” Imaging Report Still Result in Medical Malpractice Liability?

A “normal” imaging report can still result in medical malpractice liability when the normal result is incorrect, and this error directly causes harm to the patient. For example, if a patient has an aggressive cancer, and the radiologist reading their scans fails to see this, informing the patient of a “normal” scan result can constitute legally actionable negligence.

What Types of Conditions Are Most Commonly Missed on Radiology Scans?

Many types of conditions can be missed on radiology scans, but each patient is unique. It all depends on, among other factors:

• Their unique health factors
• The issues being scanned for
• The types of scans being used
• The skill of the radiologists in analyzing the scans

If a misinterpreted scan may have caused you injury, illness, or medical bills, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim.

How Is Negligence Proven in a Radiology Misdiagnosis Case?

Negligence is proven in a radiology misdiagnosis case the same way it is proven in any other medical malpractice or personal injury case. This means that solid evidence and testimony must be used to prove that:

1. The negligence occurred.
2. It directly led to legally compensable damages, such as medical bills and physical debilitation.

The particular evidence and legal strategies used will vary from case to case, depending on the unique circumstances.

What Damages May Be Available in a Medical Malpractice Claim Involving a Missed Radiology Finding?

The damages that may be available in a medical malpractice claim involving a missed radiology finding will vary from case to case. Any damages in any malpractice case are based on the unique factors of that specific case; the most important is the extent of the actual damages suffered by the victim and their ability to prove those damages. Certain types of damages may not be available in every case.

Consult Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC

If you need swift, cost-effective legal intervention regarding a missed radiology diagnosis that led to injury and suffering, we can help. Contact our Ann Arbor offices today to set up a consultation. There, we can learn more about your situation and review your options for taking legal action.