Failure to Diagnose Kidney Disease

Healthy kidneys are essential for a person’s overall well-being. It is vital that people with declining kidney function receive a timely diagnosis and immediate treatment. Unfortunately, however, doctors often overlook signs that a patient’s kidneys no longer work properly, and their failure to diagnose kidney disease can lead to life-altering or fatal complications. Doctors should be held accountable for the harm caused by their negligence, though, and it is critical for anyone harmed by a physician’s errors to meet with an attorney to discuss their options. At Arfaa Law Group, our skilled Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers are adept at recovering damages from negligent healthcare providers, and if you sustained losses due to a doctor’s failure to diagnose kidney disease, we can help you pursue justice.

Chronic kidney disease causes the loss of kidney function over time. When the kidneys no longer function properly, waste and excess fluid build up in the body, causing complications. Kidney disease can usually be identified through blood or urine tests. Although kidney disease may not cause symptoms in the early stages, certain medications increase the risk of developing kidney disease, and a patient’s use of such drugs should trigger a practitioner to perform screening tests.

If kidney disease is not diagnosed in a timely manner, it can progress, ultimately leading to kidney failure. Symptoms of kidney failure include vomiting, loss of appetite, confusion, and swelling in the legs. People with kidney failure often need to undergo dialysis on a regular basis to remove toxins and waste from their blood. Many people with kidney failure will eventually need to undergo kidney transplants.

A physician’s failure to diagnose kidney disease can cause irreparable harm. When such failures are the result of carelessness, the injured party may be able to recover damages via medical malpractice claims. The majority of plaintiffs in medical malpractice lawsuits assert negligence claims against the parties named as defendants.

Under Maryland law, a plaintiff alleging a defendant healthcare provider was negligent must demonstrate that the defendant owed them a duty to provide treatment that comports with the relevant standard of care. The standard of care dictates what a competent professional that works in the same practice area as the defendant would do when presented with the same situation that confronted the defendant. The plaintiff then needs to prove that the defendant breached the standard in some way. Lastly, the plaintiff has to establish that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer harm. This means that they must show that they sustained quantifiable losses and that such losses are directly attributable to the defendant’s breach.

In most medical malpractice cases, the plaintiff will need to hire a medical expert that works in the same practice area as the defendant to explain the standard of care to the judge or jury and testify regarding the manner in which the defendant breached the standard of care. Testimony from a medical expert is also usually needed to prove causation and to provide an accurate measure of the plaintiff’s damages. If the judge or jury finds in favor of the plaintiff, they may award them damages for financial harm, like the cost of their medical care, lost earnings, and out-of-pocket expenses, and non-pecuniary losses, such as their physical pain and suffering and mental distress.

A doctor's failure to kidney disease in a timely manner can lead to life-altering complications and may be grounds for pursuing damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit. If you suffered losses due to a delayed or missed diagnosis, it is advisable to meet with an attorney as soon as possible to assess your possible claims. The experienced Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group have the resources and knowledge needed to prove that reckless healthcare providers should be held responsible for the losses they cause, and if you hire us, we will set forth compelling arguments on your behalf. We have an office in Baltimore, where we regularly represent people in medical malpractice lawsuits. You can contact us through our form online or by calling (410) 889-1850 to set up a free and confidential consultation.