In the realm of healthcare, timely and accurate treatment is crucial for patient recovery and overall well-being. However, there are instances when treatment is delayed, leading to worsened conditions, prolonged suffering, or even death. When such delays result in harm to the patient, they may constitute medical malpractice. Please contact a skilled malpractice attorney now if you believe you were injured because of delayed medical treatment.
What Constitutes Delayed Treatment?
Delayed treatment takes place when there is an unjustifiable postponement in providing medical care to a patient. There are three common instances in which delays in medical treatment may occur. These are:
- Diagnosis delays, or when there is a significant delay in diagnosing a condition, which in turn delays the commencement of necessary treatment,
- Treatment delays, or when there is a delay in starting the treatment after a diagnosis has been made, and
- Referral delays, or when a patient needs to be referred to a specialist, but the referral is delayed.
Causes of Delayed Treatment
Several factors can contribute to delayed treatment, including:
- Misdiagnosis or diagnostic errors – This is when a healthcare provider fails to correctly identify a medical condition, leading to delays in appropriate care.
- Administrative errors – This is when there are mistakes in scheduling, patient records, or miscommunication between healthcare providers.
- Resource constraints – This takes place when there is a lack of available medical professionals, equipment, or facilities.
- Systemic issues – These issues arise when there are inefficiencies within the healthcare system, such as long wait times for specialist appointments or surgical procedures.
Consequences of Delayed Treatment
The impact of delayed treatment can vary depending on the condition and the duration of the delay. Potential consequences include:
- Disease progression,
- Increased pain and suffering,
- Medical complications, and
- Emotional and psychological impact.
What are the Legal Implications of Delayed Treatment?
When delayed treatment leads to harm, it can serve as the grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
Malpractice generally occurs when a healthcare provider provides medical care/treatment that falls below a reasonable standard of care. A medical provider is said to fall below the acceptable standard of care when a reasonable provider in the same or similar situation would have either:
- Treated a patient differently, or
- Taken a different course of treatment.
Whether or not a healthcare professional fell below the standard of care is typically determined by analyzing all of the facts of a case.
Therefore, delayed treatment may give rise to a malpractice claim when the facts show that:
- It was unreasonable for your provider to delay in providing medical treatment, and
- The delay caused you to suffer harm or injuries.
Contact Otorowski Morrow & Golden, PLLC
Please know that our firm is here to help if you were injured due to a medical provider’s malpractice. Otorowski Morrow & Golden, PLLC provides free consultations to all our potential clients. The attorneys at our law firm also have over 120 years of combined experience representing injured parties in medical malpractice cases. They never back down to insurers and fight for their clients’ interests every step of the way. Do yourself a favor and contact them now for the quality legal representation you deserve.