Chicago Radiologist Errors Attorney
When a physician sends a patient to a radiologist to have an imaging test conducted or to receive a diagnosis, the patient should be able to trust that the radiologist will provide a high standard of care and will not make a mistake that leads to a devastating injury. Yet similar to any other healthcare provider, a radiologist can be negligent, and medical negligence can result in devastating patient harm. If you received a delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or any other type of harm because of a radiologist error, you should seek advice from the Chicago radiologist errors attorneys at our firm today.
What is a Radiologist?
In order to understand how radiologist errors can occur, and how radiologists can make mistakes that result in successful medical malpractice lawsuits, it is critical to understand the role of a radiologist in modern medicine. According to the American College of Radiology, “radiologists are medical doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases uses medical imaging (radiology) procedures (exams/tests) such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasounds.”
In general, there are several different types of radiological specialities, so you might see a particular type of radiologist when you are having a specific kind of imaging test completed. Those different types of radiologists include, for example:
- Diagnostic radiologists, who specialize in diagnosing conditions based on tests and may have particular specialties in mammograms, cardiovascular radiology, chest radiology, emergency radiology, gastrointestinal radiology, genitourinary radiology, head and neck radiology, musculoskeletal radiology, neuroradiology, and pediatric radiology;
- Interventional radiologists, who “diagnose and treat patients using image-guided, minimally invasive techniques such as X-ray and MRI,” and can deliver treatments for a variety of conditions; and
- Radiation oncologists, who are responsible for a cancer patient’s treatment using radiation and managing the effects of cancer treatment.
Common Types of Radiology Errors in Chicago, Illinois
Like other healthcare providers, radiologists can make mistakes that ultimately can result in serious and life-threatening injuries to patients. Examples of common radiology errors can include:
- Misreading of a diagnostic imaging test, resulting in a missed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis;
- Failing to perceive an abnormality in a diagnostic imaging test, resulting in a missed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis;
- Misinterpreting a diagnostic imaging test, resulting either in a delayed diagnosis of a serious condition or a wrong diagnosis of a serious condition that results in unnecessary and invasive treatment; or
- Error in conducting the imaging test, resulting in a misdiagnosis.
Radiologists can be liable for radiology errors that result in patient injuries. In addition, the facility where the diagnostic imaging test was conducted could bear responsibility for the patient’s injury, as could a diagnostic imaging technician who improperly conducts a test.
Learn More from Our Chicago Radiology Error Attorneys
Were you injured because of a radiologist’s error? Whether the radiologist is newly licensed or has been practicing for years, that healthcare provider has a duty to provide a reasonable quality of care to patients. If the radiologist was negligent, you could be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim. One of our Chicago radiologist error lawyers can discuss your case and your options with you today. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC to learn more about how we can assist you.
