Medical Malpractice

Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyers in Grand Rapids, MI


Experiencing a medical misdiagnosis can break your trust in the health care system, whether it resulted in an injury for yourself or the death of a loved one. Medical professionals, faulty lab results, or improper testing can fail to meet the standards of care. Improper care, delayed treatment, or no treatment often leads to serious complications beyond the patient’s original health challenges.

Gavel and stethoscope

Medicine is historically a complex subject — multiple health conditions have similar symptoms but require different interventions. Doctors often miss or misinterpret symptoms and fail to diagnose illnesses correctly.

All illnesses should be properly diagnosed and treated effectively and timely. When a healthcare provider fails to properly diagnose a patient, typically the cause is a delay to treat or complete failure to treat. A misdiagnosis could lead to unnecessary suffering or even death. Those failures most often lead to a poor outcome. Health care providers need to be held accountable.

Medical misdiagnosis is among the leading causes of malpractice lawsuits in Michigan. A medical misdiagnosis can have devastating consequences. You may be entitled to compensation if you or a loved one has been the victim of a misdiagnosis.

Grover Lewis Johnson wants to fully understand your situation and get the results you deserve for a misdiagnosis malpractice case. We’ll guide you through the legal process so that you can focus on what matters most — your health. Our experienced medical misdiagnosis lawyers at Grover Lewis Johnson in Grand Rapids, MI, can help you understand your legal rights and options.

What is Medical Malpractice?

A physician or any other health professional has a duty to maintain a certain standard of care. Healthcare professionals are not liable for every single injury a patient may experience. However, they are legally responsible for any harm or damages a patient may experience when healthcare providers deviate from providing the standard quality of care.

Such substandard conduct could involve medical malpractices. Our medical malpractice lawyers can assist you in learning more about medical malpractice.

Can I Sue for a Medical Misdiagnosis in Michigan?

Yes, suppose you or a loved one has been the victim of a medical misdiagnosis. You may file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the responsible healthcare provider in that case. In Michigan, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is two years from the date of the injury or from the date when the injury should have been discovered.

What Counts as Misdiagnosis?

When a medical practitioner diagnoses a patient, they use a coherent and accurate process to determine the exact nature of the patient’s condition and the required intervention. However, when a misdiagnosis occurs, the patient’s condition may not be treated effectively. Instead, there are high risks of injuries or worsening conditions.

Some elements that may count as medical misdiagnosis include:

  • Failing to order appropriate tests
  • Misinterpretation of test results
  • Failure to consider all the patient’s symptoms
  • Incorrect diagnosis

How Does a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Work?

A medical malpractice suit is a civil action brought by a plaintiff whose negligence of a healthcare provider has been injured. In medical malpractice cases, the plaintiff must establish that the healthcare provider was negligent and that the breach caused the plaintiff’s injury. If the plaintiff triumphs, the court may award damages to the plaintiff.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are one of the most complex types of personal injury claims to prove in a court of law. This is not only due to complexities in proving a malpractice but also because the law protects healthcare professionals. Nonetheless, your medical diagnosis lawyer knows how to navigate the legal complexities if you believe medical malpractice occurred.

What Are the Four Elements of Medical Malpractice?

There are four elements that your medical malpractice lawyers in Grand Rapids must present for a medical malpractice case to be successful:

  1. The healthcare provider owed the patient a duty of care.
  2. The healthcare provider breached the standard of care.
  3. The breach of standard care caused the patient’s injury.
  4. The patient suffered damages as a result of the injury.

These elements are the foundation of a medical malpractice lawsuit in Michigan and all other states. Hence, your medical misdiagnosis lawyer must be well conversant with all issues.

Commonly Asked Questions About Medical Misdiagnosis

How Much Compensation Can I Get for a Misdiagnosis?

The amount of compensation you can recover in a medical malpractice case will depend on the specific facts and circumstances of the case. For example, the court will consider the nature and extent of the injuries, the amount of medical expenses incurred, and the pain and suffering.

How Do You Prove Misdiagnosed Medical Malpractice Cases?

One way is to show that the healthcare provider made a mistake that a similarly situated healthcare provider would not have made. Another way is to show that the healthcare provider did not follow the accepted standard of care when diagnosing the patient’s condition.

How Long Does a Medical Malpractice Case Take to Conclude?

The length of time it takes to resolve a medical malpractice case will depend on the specific facts and circumstances of the case. Resolving a medical malpractice case can generally take several months or even years.

Do You Have a Medical Malpractice Case in Grand Rapids, MI? Contact Grover Lewis Johnson

If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical misdiagnosis, you can file a compensation case. However, to successfully file malpractice in Michigan, you must hire an experienced medical misdiagnosis lawyer. There are many medical malpractice lawyers in Grand Rapids, but not all can handle your case effectively.

How We Can Help

However, our lawyers at Grover Lewis Johnson in Grand Rapids, MI, understand that every case is unique and requires special expertise. Over two decades of experience, combined with our willingness to listen and understand each case, allows our experienced and talented experts to recommend practical recommendations and build a fearless, strong case.

Grover Lewis Johnson continues to innovate and expand their practice. We are the medical malpractice lawyers in Grand Rapids, where communities in West Michigan get access to personalized representation.

Don’t let your case go unanswered. Give us a call today to get started on your claim.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit?

In Michigan, you generally have two years to file a medical malpractice suit. There are important exceptions to this general rule. We will help you sort this out.

What do I need to prove in a misdiagnosis case?

Medical malpractice cases involve requirements including proof of an established provider-patient relationship, that the healthcare provider failed to meet the standards of care, and that the error caused significant damages.

Specifically for a misdiagnosis case, you also need to provide proof of the following to move forward with a case:

  • That the illness or injury would not have been misdiagnosed by another doctor or healthcare provider with the same or similar specialty.
  • That a competent provider would have designated the correct diagnosis when determining possibilities for the injury or illness, but the current provider did not.
  • If the provider gave the correct diagnosis, then you need to prove that they did not perform the right tests to arrive at the diagnosis.

What are the accepted standards of care in Michigan?

Each healthcare provider in Michigan is held to the standard of care to provide treatment that is appropriate under the circumstances. All healthcare providers hold themselves to the standard of being experts, so they should be held accountable for being just that.