A doctor's diagnosis is critical in determining which type of treatment a person in Maryland may need when suffering an illness. Failure to diagnose a health condition properly can prevent a patient from getting the right treatment, which can have serious consequences. One woman in another state recently sued a hospital and several doctors for reportedly misdiagnosing the cause of the weakness in her husband's legs.
The woman said her husband began to experience weakness in his legs in 2011 and kept falling as a result. His doctor ordered an MRI, after which the man was told that a spinal surgery was necessary to address the issue. He underwent the surgery.
However, according to the woman, the doctors and hospital did not appropriately examine her spouse and failed to properly diagnose the cause of the problem as being a syrinx, which is a cavity in the spinal cord that is filled with fluid. The woman said, had he been properly diagnosed, her husband could have avoided the spinal surgery and undergone other options that were less invasive and more appropriate. She said her husband has suffered major side effects from the spinal surgery, including muscle loss in the legs, discomfort, being unable to walk without assistance and incontinence.
The woman has accused the doctors and the hospital of failure to diagnose her husband's medical problem properly. In her lawsuit, she is seeking monetary damages. When a doctor or medical facility fails to exercise reasonable care in diagnosing and treating patients, the patients who suffer harm as a result have the right to seek justice through the Maryland civil court system.