What is Misdiagnosis?
Updated January 24, 2026
A medical malpractice claim based on a healthcare provider incorrectly diagnosing a condition, leading to improper treatment or delayed proper treatment.
Understanding Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis includes wrong diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and failure to diagnose. The claim requires proving a competent doctor would have correctly diagnosed the condition and that the misdiagnosis caused harm. Cancer, heart attacks, and infections are commonly misdiagnosed.
Examples
- 1Cancer diagnosed too late for effective treatment
- 2Heart attack misdiagnosed as heartburn
- 3Stroke symptoms dismissed in ER
Related Terms
Standard of Care
The degree of care and skill that a reasonably competent professional in the same field would provide under similar circumstances.
Informed Consent
A patient's agreement to medical treatment after being fully informed of the risks, benefits, alternatives, and potential outcomes.
Surgical Error
A preventable mistake during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part, leaving instruments inside the patient, or damaging healthy tissue.
Birth Injury
Harm to a baby or mother caused by medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or immediately after birth.
Medication Error
A preventable mistake in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication that causes harm to a patient.
For Medical Malpractice cases
The record behind a term like this one is built by the client, not the file.
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