Delay in Diagnosis

Delayed medical diagnosis can sometimes result in a medical problem or exacerbation of an existing medical problem. If the delay is caused by a medical professional / medical department, then it might be possible for the patient to take a medical negligence case. It will be necessary to establish that the medical department / medical professional is responsible for the delay. For example, if the medical department / medical professional fails to diagnose the medical complaint in a situation where the medical evidence indicates that an earlier diagnosis should have been made, then a claim might arise. It will also be necessary to establish that the delay resulted in a worsening of the patient’s medical condition. For example, if cancer is not diagnosed until sometime after it should have been diagnosed, it might be possible to take a case for this delay, if the delay has made prognosis worse (or prevented the patient from having earlier treatment which might have resulted in a better outcome).

To prove a case of medical negligence arising from a delay in diagnosis, an expert report is required to prove that the healthcare professional breached the duty of care owed to you. That expert must state that the doctor was negligent in the way they treated you, and that the stated injury has arisen as a direct consequence of that negligence. Often, patients don’t know what to do when this situation occurs to them. We at Callanan Murphy Solicitors have many years’ experience in the area of medical negligence claims in Ireland and have dedicated Solicitors who practice in the area.

If you think you have a claim for Medical Negligence / Medical Malpractice / Clinical Negligence, and want legal advice, please feel free to contact Martin Kerrigan for a consultation. We can offer you the support you need and explain the process of medical negligence claims in Ireland to you.

Please note that we meet with clients for medical negligence claims throughout Ireland.