Radiology is a key part of medicine that involves the use of imaging technologies to detect, diagnose and treat various diseases. If a radiologist or another health care provider makes a negligent mistake involving an imaging scan, such as an x-ray or MRI, it can cause critical patient safety issues, including delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatments.
Radiology errors in Minneapolis can lead to serious and life-threatening health complications. If you are a patient who has suffered harm due to a radiology error, contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC for a free initial consultation. We can help you understand your legal rights and take action in the pursuit of justice.
Why Choose Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC?
- We have over 40 years of experience in medical malpractice law. Our team isn’t afraid of taking on tough or challenging radiology error cases.
- We are award-winning Minneapolis litigators who have recovered more than $200 million in compensation for clients like you.
- Our lawyers can go up against powerful defendants, including major hospitals and health care providers in Minneapolis, in and out of the courtroom.
- You won’t pay your radiology error attorney anything unless you win your case. Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC operates on a contingency fee basis, with $0 charged upfront.
How a Radiology Error Attorney Can Help
A radiology error attorney will be able to help you with all of the legal steps and actions involved in your case. This includes initial investigation, collecting evidence, hiring radiology experts to testify and negotiating with insurance companies for a maximum settlement.
An attorney can also make sure you meet all of the requirements for filing a medical malpractice claim in Minnesota, including obtaining a certificate of merit. Your radiology error attorney can work with the right medical professionals to show that a radiologist deviated from the correct standard of care and that this directly resulted in your injuries.
While hiring a malpractice lawyer can be beneficial under any circumstances, it is especially important to seek legal representation if you suffered a catastrophic injury due to a radiology error in Minneapolis. A lawyer will fight for maximum compensation for what may be a lifetime of related costs. Meanwhile, you can concentrate on healing and moving forward.
What Are Radiology Errors?
A radiology error describes a mistake involved with the medical imaging stage of a patient’s care. If a patient is prescribed x-rays, CT scans, MRIs or other medical imaging scans to diagnose or treat a condition, a medical professional known as a radiologist is responsible for completing these scans correctly and in accordance with the industry’s high standards of care.
An action or omission that falls short of this standard of care can constitute medical malpractice if a patient is injured as a result. Common types of radiology errors include:
- Failing to see an abnormality in the image
- Incorrectly interpreting an abnormality
- Failing to correctly communicate findings
- Failing to get a clear or high-quality image
- Failing to recommend follow-up imaging
- Capturing an image of the wrong area or organ
- Mixing up patients’ imaging scans or results
- Technical issues with the equipment
The consequences of radiology errors can be severe for a patient. Serious health issues such as cancer may go undetected and remain undiagnosed, potentially leading to a dangerous delay in treatment. A patient may also undergo unnecessary treatments due to radiology errors.
When Is a Radiology Error Considered Medical Malpractice?
Medicine is not perfect, and errors and issues can happen even when a practitioner does everything right. However, if a health care provider makes a radiology mistake that a reasonably prudent medical professional would not have made in the same or similar circumstances, this is medical negligence.
The elements of a medical malpractice claim are:
- A legal duty of care existed due to a doctor-patient relationship.
- The radiologist or defendant breached the duty of care.
- The breach of duty was the direct cause of the patient’s injury or adverse health outcome.
- The patient suffered actual damages, such as a worsened prognosis or unnecessary treatment.
An attorney can help you determine whether the radiology error that caused your injury was a reasonable error or an example of medical malpractice. In general, if the accepted standard of care was not met by the radiologist, nurse, doctor, hospital or another medical professional and this resulted in your injury, you will have a valid medical malpractice claim.
What Is the Statute of Limitations or Deadline to File?
All medical malpractice claims in Minnesota are subject to the state’s filing time limit, known as the statute of limitations. Under Minnesota Statutes § 541.076, legal actions against health care providers by patients must be commenced within four years from the date the cause of action accrues.
Typically, this means four years from the date of the radiology error or act of malpractice. If medical negligence was not discovered or did not cause injury right away, however, the patient may have four years from the date of reasonable discovery.
Statutes of limitations are strict. Missing yours could lead to the loss of the ability to seek compensation. It is highly recommended that you consult with a Minneapolis radiology error attorney at Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC immediately if you believe you have a case.
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
If you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim for a radiology error in Minneapolis, you may be eligible for financial compensation for the following:
- Present and future necessary medical expenses
- Any corrective treatments or surgeries needed
- Rehabilitation or therapies
- Long-term or permanent health complications
- Pain, suffering, emotional distress or trauma
- Lost wages, income and employment benefits
- Loss of enjoyment of life
You may also be eligible for wrongful death damages, including loss of consortium, if someone you love died because of a preventable radiology error in Minnesota.
Contact Our Experienced Radiology Error Attorneys Today
At Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC, we care about the safety, health and rights of patients in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our medical malpractice lawyers are passionate about helping patients receive the full compensation they are entitled to as victims of radiologist negligence. If you or someone you love has been negatively impacted by a radiology error, contact us for a free consultation about your case to learn more about how we help. We will listen closely to your story, evaluate your case and help you choose the right path forward.