What is a misdiagnosis?
There are three types of medical misdiagnosis:
- Incorrect diagnosis. For example, if a health professional does not interpret your test results correctly.
- Missed diagnosis. This can happen if a health professional does not examine you thoroughly or refer you to a relevant specialist.
- Late diagnosis. When a health professional initially fails to diagnose your condition but diagnoses it when your illness has reached an advanced stage.
Misdiagnosis of any kind can prolong a health condition and may severely affect someone’s life, which can even result in death.
Who can make a medical misdiagnosis compensation claim?
Anybody who has suffered medical misdiagnosis can pursue a claim for compensation.
Medical misdiagnosis claims can also be made by one person on behalf of another as their ‘litigation friend’. A litigation friend might make a claim on behalf of a relative, a friend or someone else under their care.
When someone lacks the mental capacity to make a claim, a litigation friend can claim on their behalf. Parents can make compensation claims for a child, as the minimum age to undertake legal proceedings is eighteen years old.
If a person has sadly died due to medical misdiagnosis, their estate and dependants may be entitled to claim for medical misdiagnosis.
