The story of a young, new mother’s nearly-fatal misdiagnosis case helps demonstrate the horrors of misdiagnosis medical malpractice in the United States, and raises the discussion about what New York City medical misdiagnosis victims can do if they are seriously injured by a trusted doctor’s misdiagnosis. According to NBC News, the horrific story of Charity Watkins’ misdiagnosed heart failure condition all started after she came back from the hospital after delivering her baby girl. Ms. Watkins, who was, at the time, 30 years old, experienced exhaustion after the birth of her daughter, to the point that she could not walk up a full flight of stairs without catching her breath. Ms. Watkins went to her doctor, and she was diagnosed with a case of the flu. However, eight weeks later, Ms. Watkins experienced heart-attack-like symptoms, and she went to the emergency room. Ms. Watkins was not seen by a doctor at that visit, even after she was required to wait 5 1⁄2 hours at the hospital. Three days later, when Ms. Watkins was finally seen by a doctor, she was diagnosed with heart failure. Ms. Watkins then spent two weeks in intensive care and was told, “We almost lost you”, by a cardiologist.
Though Ms. Watkins’ case is terrifying, the truth of the matter is, unfortunately, it is not all-too rare. Indeed, in the United States alone, 12 million adults are misdiagnosed by their doctors each year. Sadly, an estimated 795,000 of those patients die or become permanently disabled each year. In addition, 1 in 4 hospital patients who died or had to be transferred to intensive care were misdiagnosed by their doctor. The numbers are so staggering, in fact, that researchers are calling medical misdiagnosis an “urgent public health problem”. Importantly, women and ethnic minorities are 20-30% more likely than white males to experience a misdiagnosis. To wit, Ms. Watkins, who experienced the heart failure misdiagnosis after the birth of her daughter, is Black. It is clear that medical misdiagnosis is not rare in the United States, but it also can be highly fatal. It also impacts women and ethnic minorities in high numbers as compared to white males.
Justice for Victims of Doctor Misdiagnosis in New York City
No person should have to suffer through the pain, frustration, and anguish of a doctor’s misdiagnosis. If you were misdiagnosed by your doctor in New York City and you need legal help obtaining justice, contact the experienced New York City misdiagnosis lawyers at the law firm of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. The experienced New York City misdiagnosis lawyers at the law firm of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. are here to help victims of doctor medical misdiagnosis in New York City get justice due for their injuries and losses caused by negligent doctors. Do not hesitate to speak to a lawyer about your case today. Contact the law office of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. today and speak to a lawyer about your rights and options now. If you feel that you suffered medical negligence and were marginalized by your doctor or hospital, contact the NYC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Michael Gunzburg, P.C. today.
Source:
nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medical-mistakes-are-likely-women-minorities-rcna133726