Los Angeles Laboratory Mistakes
Medical Lab Error Lawyers Serving Los Angeles
Laboratory mistakes can cause a great deal of trouble, expense and physical injury to a patient. Although the medical field has advanced drastically and should continue to do so, saving millions of lives, human error is always a factor. Even medical lab equipment may malfunction, leading to a test result that is actually false. When lab errors occur, this may leave a patient with a false positive cancer diagnosis or perhaps a negative test result that results in a doctor's failure to diagnose a serious medical condition. By consulting a Los Angeles lab error attorney in the wake of a situation such as this, you can find out whether you may have grounds for legal action against the responsible lab technician or medical facility.
Medical Testing and Lab Mistakes
Having medical tests of all kinds performed is a common part of any diagnosis and treatment. A doctor has the burden of identifying, testing and confirming what illness or injury a patient may be suffering from, and medical laboratories are often responsible for blood tests, imaging, and other procedures. Following are some examples and areas in which lab mistakes may occur:
- Faulty MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography) scans
- Contaminated specimens or samples from the patient
- Mixed up samples or paperwork, with another patient's
- Misinterpreted test results
- Medical equipment failure or defects
- Lost or mishandled test samples
A single lab error may lead to a patient being diagnosed with breast cancer when she was actually perfectly healthy. It may lead to a very ill patient being told that he or she had a minor infection, leading to the discharge of the patient and eventually catastrophic injury or even death. Misdiagnosis, unnecessary surgery and a number of other serious issues may stem from a laboratory mistake.
Did a lab error or mistake lead to your injuries? Contact a Los Angeles laboratory mistake lawyer at our law offices today for more information about your unique case.