Every person who visits a dentist, doctor, hospital, or other medical professional has the right to expect competent care. Sadly, errors in the medical field are common. If such a failure involves an inability to diagnose a physical or mental condition, the results can be catastrophic. Proper diagnostics are an essential part of competent care. Medical providers should know how to ask the right questions, order the correct tests, and properly interpret the results of those tests. A provider who does not take these steps may have committed medical malpractice and be liable to provide compensation to injured patients and their families. If your medical condition or injury was worsened due to a doctor's inability to provide a proper diagnosis, get in touch with our Columbus failure to diagnose lawyers today. Our attorneys will fight to gather evidence of any apparent malpractice, work with an expert to interpret that evidence, and help to measure the damages in the claim to pursue the case for all appropriate payments.
The Role of Medical Experts in Failure to Diagnose Cases
Cases that allege medical malpractice for any reason can only progress if a qualified medical expert states their opinion that an incident involving malpractice has occurred. Under the Ohio Rule of Civil Procedure §10(D)(2), a plaintiff cannot even start a case in court unless an expert has examined the facts or the case and swears to the court that malpractice may have occurred. However, not just any medical professional can serve as an expert in these claims. According to Ohio Revised Code §2743.43, an expert must:- Possess a license to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatric medicine in any state
- Spend three-fourths of their professional time in active practice or teaching at an accredited university
- Practice their craft in the same specialty as the defendant
- When the expert is a specialist, have certification from the American board of medical specialties
