Is misdiagnosis considered medical malpractice in Florida?

A: If you watch House, M.D. or any other medical drama, you know that medicine isn't an exact science. Some illnesses are rare or hard to diagnose. Despite doctors' best efforts, misdiagnoses can occur.

If a doctor makes that best effort, misdiagnosis is not considered medical malpractice. However, if a doctor is negligent or fails to follow standard procedure and a patient is misdiagnosed, then the patient or his family may have grounds for a Florida medical malpractice claim.

Examples of negligence include:

• Failing to take a health history
• Failure to order tests to find the cause of your symptoms
• Misinterpreting a lab test
• Diagnosing a cancerous tumor as benign or a benign tumor as malignant
• Not screening a high-risk patient for the disease he or she is at risk for

In order to file a Florida medical malpractice claim, the victim must be able to show that the misdiagnosis caused injury or other damages.

If you have been injured because of a misdiagnosis in Florida or have questions about Florida medical malpractice, contact the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb at 800-GOLD-LAW, and ask to schedule a free consultation with a West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney.