Delays in Treatment

In the context of medical care, numerous factors have to combine for a patient to achieve a good outcome. For example, patients must receive prompt treatment for chronic and acute conditions and injuries. Therefore, delays in treatment do not constitute mere inconveniences; instead, they lead to irreparable harm in many instances. If you sustained losses due to a doctor’s careless delay in providing you with the treatment you needed, you might be owed compensation from the physician responsible for your harm, and you should speak to an attorney. At Foran & Foran, P.A., our seasoned Prince George’s County medical malpractice attorneys are proficient at navigating the complexities of cases arising out of treatment delays, and we have the knowledge and resources needed to help you pursue a successful result.

While obtaining a timely and accurate diagnosis is essential to maintaining a patient’s health, a diagnosis alone is not sufficient. Rather, many illnesses and conditions also require prompt treatment. For example, people suffering from heart attacks and strokes typically must receive immediate treatment to prevent further harm or issues from occurring. Treatment delays should be avoided in patients who have cancer as well, as they can allow the cancer to spread and eventually become terminal. Numerous chronic conditions, like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hypothyroidism, can have devastating consequences if they are not treated in a timely manner. Many acute illnesses need immediate treatment also. For instance, a delay in treating a patient suffering from a treatable illness like pneumonia or meningitis can have a devastating outcome.

Patients harmed by treatment delays have the right to seek compensation from the providers that caused their harm. Generally, a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case must prove that the defendant committed medical negligence. This requires the plaintiff to demonstrate that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty and that the defendant breached the duty. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, the duty a defendant owes is the duty to provide treatment that meets the prevailing standard of care. Pursuant to Maryland law, this standard is the degree of care, skill, and treatment that a reasonably practical doctor in the same specialty would provide when presented with the same situation.

The plaintiff must also prove that the evidence shows that the defendant’s breach directly led to the plaintiff’s harm. In other words, that the harm suffered would not have happened but for the defendant’s failure to provide treatment that complied with the standard of care. While the defendant’s actions or omissions do not have to be the lone cause of the plaintiff’s injuries, they must be a significant factor in bringing them about.

Plaintiffs who demonstrate that treatment delays caused them to suffer actual harm may be awarded economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages in medical malpractice cases generally refer to the financial losses a plaintiff suffers that would not have occurred without the harm that triggered the filing of the lawsuit. It includes past and future medical costs and plaintiff’s lost wages and loss of earning capacity. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are the non-financial losses that only arose due to the injury that is the basis of a lawsuit. Such losses may include suffering, pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, and inconvenience.

Many diseases and ailments must be treated promptly, and when they are not, the results can be catastrophic. If you suffered harm due to treatment delays, you may be able to recover damages from your doctor, and you should meet with an attorney regarding your possible claims. The knowledgeable Prince George’s County medical malpractice attorneys of Foran & Foran, P.A., can advise you of your rights and gather the facts and information needed to provide you with a strong chance of a favorable result. We have an office in Greenbelt, Maryland, and we regularly represent injured people in medical malpractice in Hyattsville, Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Waldorf, La Plata, Silver Spring, Rockville, and other cities in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Charles County, and all counties in the State of Maryland in medical malpractice cases. You can set up a confidential and free conference by contacting us through our form online or by calling us at (301) 441-2022.