Failure to Diagnose Neck Fracture

Knowledgeable Misdiagnosis Lawyers Guiding Residents of Baltimore

Cervical neck fractures can have life-changing consequences for a patient, which makes a timely diagnosis and treatment even more important. If you or someone close to you has been harmed by a medical professional’s failure to diagnose a neck fracture, we can help. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore misdiagnosis lawyers are committed to helping you understand your options and your rights. We are proud of the substantial verdicts and settlements that we have secured for many injured Maryland patients in a variety of cases involving complex medical issues.

Injuries Arising From a Failure to Diagnose a Neck Fracture

An incorrect or missed diagnosis of a neck fracture can lead to mobility and pain issues for a patient. Of course, a failure to diagnose the condition properly can also lead to further complications and even additional health conditions. Many people assume that neck fractures are easy to diagnose, but this is not always the case. These fractures can be diagnosed through x-rays and other imaging equipment. Unfortunately, however, doctors often misread or misinterpret x-rays, leading to a missed neck fracture diagnosis. This can be due to insufficient training or experience on the doctor’s part. In other cases, doctors fail to order the appropriate x-rays and diagnostic tests altogether through an oversight.

Health care is a complicated profession, and there are numerous factors that affect how someone will respond to treatment. As a result, not all adverse outcomes amount to medical malpractice. For a patient to have a valid medical malpractice claim, they must be able to show that they suffered harm due to the negligence of a medical professional. Negligence, in the context of medical malpractice, occurs when a medical professional fails to provide the level of care that a reasonably competent medical professional in the same specialty would have provided in the same or a similar situation. In order to win a medical malpractice case, the injured patient’s attorney typically will need to establish the following elements:

Duty: This is generally a straightforward element to establish. The presence of a doctor/patient relationship is usually sufficient to show that the doctor owed a duty to the patient.
Breach: This element requires demonstrating that the medical professional was deficient in his or her job by deviating from the level of care that another doctor in the same specialty would have used under the same circumstances.
Causation: This element requires showing that the patient’s injury was a direct result of the doctor’s action or inaction (i.e., the neck injury was exacerbated due to a failure to diagnose a neck fracture).
Damages: This element requires showing that the patient suffered a significant injury or irreversible harm due to the doctor’s error or misconduct.

A doctor’s failure to properly diagnose a neck fracture can often lead to permanent mobility issues, a re-fracture of the vertebrae, a bone that heals incompletely, and even ongoing pain and suffering. These things can be extremely costly to treat and manage, which is why Maryland law allows victims of medical malpractice to recover compensation for their harm. Once medical malpractice is established, you may be able to recover a number of expenses, including but not limited to medical costs, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, the cost of future care, and compensation for any other losses stemming from the malpractice.

Seek Assistance From a Dedicated Injury Lawyer in the Baltimore Area

Neck fractures, when not properly diagnosed, can lead to devastating and life-long injuries for a patient. If you have suffered a serious injury due to a misdiagnosis of a neck fracture, you may be facing significant expenses to deal with that injury. At Arfaa Law Group, our knowledgeable Baltimore attorneys can meticulously examine the facts of your case and determine whether you have a viable claim. We offer a free initial consultation so that you can figure out your options in a stress-free manner. Contact one of our attorneys today at 410-889-1850 or by reaching us via our website. Arfaa Law Group represents injured patients throughout the state of Maryland.