There will come a day when you, or a loved one, needs to go to the doctor because you are concerned for your health. Maybe there’s a strange stomach pain, perhaps you’re having headaches more frequently and aggressively, or a general malaise falls over you from time to time. Whatever the reason may be, a doctor will run tests and using their knowledge will offer a prognosis, diagnosis, and/or treatment options. Almost every time, patients will trust their doctor’s judgment and follow it. However, either before or after treatment, you may feel that something is quite right with what the doctor said. In this instance, a second opinion can only help; either you will find out that your primary care physician was correct from the start, or in some cases, that they missed something crucial and the second doctor caught it before it became (more of) an issue. If you feel your primary care physician has missed something and you aren’t positive of their judgment, contact a Texas medical malpractice lawyer and a second doctor to discuss your options. But first, let’s look at second opinions further.
In a recent case from 2018, a 61-year old Texas man went to his doctor for stomach pain and vomiting. The doctor misdiagnosed him with an abnormality that excluded her from candidate to receive surgery, of which, unbeknownst to both, he was one. The defendant’s hospital sought a second opinion after the patient had been in a medically induced coma for over a month. The second opinion caught that the defendant needed surgery to remove bile duct stones, the root cause of his abdominal issues. The jury ultimately ruled in favor of the defendant in the malpractice case, a great victory in the face of pains he faced at the hands of his doctor.
Say a patient go to the doctor for chronic headaches and the doctor believes it’s nothing more than needing more water, or taking an ibuprofen when the pain comes on. The patient thinks there has to be more to it than that; they’ve had headaches before and these seem different. After some time, they realize that it starts and throbs in the same spot. So they seek a second opinion from another doctor. He requests an MRI and a brain tumor is found. Due to the negligence of the first doctor, the patient has been living with this dangerous condition, while the first doctor believed it was all in the patient’s head.
If you or a loved one hesitates to trust a doctor’s diagnosis, seek a second opinion and contact a Texas medical malpractice lawyer. Your health is a priority for you, your loved ones, and for us. We are here to help avoid further injury, or to rectify past transgressions. Call us, or visit our offices today for more information.