Radiologists pay higher than average medical malpractice insurance premiums, and for good reason. These doctors often face medical malpractice lawsuits for mistakes that they make in either administering tests or reading the results and diagnosing medical conditions. They often see a higher volume of patients, and they are required to diagnose a wide variety of conditions. If you have been injured through the medical malpractice of a radiologist or a medical professional who was administering a test, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
Even though the radiologist has not seen you in person, your treating doctor heavily relies on their medical expertise. Your own physician may not have the training necessary to read the test results and diagnose your condition.
“Failure to Diagnose” Medical Malpractice Claims
“Failure to diagnose” medical malpractice cases are the biggest source of lawsuits against radiologists. Anytime that you have test results that the radiologist must read, they are bound by the duty of care that they owe you to act reasonably under the circumstances. Although some medical conditions may be easier to diagnose than others, the radiologist must use due care whenever they are reading and interpreting your test results.
Radiologists can make the following mistakes when they are reading your test results:
- Missing abnormalities, such as small tumors, on imaging tests that lead to delayed treatment of a serious medical condition.
- Delayed diagnosis of a serious medical condition that would have benefited from earlier treatment.
- Failure to adequately communicate the results of the test to the patient.
- Not properly recommending follow-up care in the face of test results that may show a medical condition.
These types of lawsuits against radiologists are common when they have missed a cancer diagnosis. Here, the patient may have had a better prognosis if the cancer had been caught earlier. These types of cases are what drive the high-dollar payouts in medical malpractice lawsuits. Radiologists often have a difficult time defending against these cases because the result of the tests was obvious in hindsight.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for Errors in Administering the Tests
Radiologists conduct a variety of tests, and they do not just involve X-rays. Interventional radiologists often place stents and testing instruments inside the body. The radiologist may make a mistake, and the instrument could lead to organ puncture or other types of internal damage. They may not have properly reviewed the patient’s medical history before administering a test, or they may not respond to complications during the testing procedure as they arise.
A radiologist can also commit malpractice through a more traditional type of imaging test. For example, they may make an error that results in the administration of too much radiation to the patient. This mistake can lead to an immediate short-term injury or raise the patient’s risk of getting cancer in the future.
When it comes to a test involving contrasts or dyes, the patient could suffer a severe allergic reaction or an injury to their kidneys. The radiologist may have caused these injuries, either through an improper administration of the substance or the failure to review the patient’s medical history for contraindications.
Finally, the radiologist could be liable for a malfunction in the technology that is used to administer the test. Not only is the radiologist responsible for properly administering and reading the test results, but they must also maintain the equipment that they use to ensure that it is safe.
Contact Our Vermont Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kramer Law, P.C. if You Believe You Are a Victim of Medical Malpractice
If you or a loved one has been injured by a mistake that was made by a radiologist, get legal help from our Vermont medical malpractice lawyers at Kramer Law, P.C. These cases often require a difficult legal fight, and we are up to the job. For a free consultation, contact us online or call today at 802-257-2221. Located in Brattleboro, Vermont, we proudly serve clients in the surrounding areas.
