Can I pursue legal action for a misdiagnosis?
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Can I pursue legal action for a misdiagnosis?
I went to the hospital several weeks ago because of a knee injury I received while playing basketball. When I got there, the doctor said that I dislocated my knee. They gave me some morphine and she proceeded to push it back in place. When she did it I felt it pop twice, she then said “wait”; after that no one touched my knee except to put a knee immobilizer. When I went to my follow up appointment they took an X-ray and discovered that my knee was actually broken. Do I have a case?
Asked on September 16, 2014 under Malpractice Law, Georgia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
It depends on two things. First, did the first doctor break your knee, or did her actions in any way make the injury worse or significantly delay healing? If she did, then you may have a cause of action; but if her actions had no appreciable adverse effect, you would not have a viable lawsuit. Lawsuits compensate people for actual damage or injuries, not for possible or theoretical harm; if her actions had no actual negative effect on you, there would be no claim.
Second, even if you suffered harm from her actions, the issue is whether the doctor was careless in causing the harm or not. If she way, you may have a viable case. But if she did everything a reasonable doctor should have done, and made the same diagnosis a reasonable doctor would have made, she would not be liable; the law requires fault on the part of the doctor, such as negligence (carelessness) to make him or her liable.
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