San Antonio Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyer
Injured or Fallen Ill After a Serious Diagnostic Error?
A missed or wrong diagnosis can change the course of your life. When a condition is ignored, dismissed, or discovered far too late, you may be left facing more aggressive treatment, permanent complications, or the loss of someone you love. If this sounds familiar, you may be wondering whether what happened was simply a bad outcome or preventable medical malpractice.
At Kemmy Law Firm, P.C., we help patients and families work through that uncertainty. Our multi-generational family trial firm has represented injured Texans since 1986, and our roots in the law go back to 1950. We have recovered more than $200 million for people whose lives were upended by serious injuries and wrongful death, and we bring that same determination to complex misdiagnosis cases.
Contact us today at (830) 264-6297 to request a free consultation.
How Healthcare Providers Diagnose Medical Conditions
Diagnosing a medical condition is a multi-step process that requires careful attention, clinical judgment, and adherence to established medical standards. While the process can vary depending on the condition, it generally includes:
- Patient history: Reviewing symptoms, prior medical conditions, medications, and family history
- Physical examination: Evaluating vital signs and performing targeted examinations
- Diagnostic testing: Ordering and interpreting blood tests, imaging studies, biopsies, or other diagnostic tools
- Differential diagnosis: Comparing possible conditions with similar symptoms
- Follow-up and monitoring: Adjusting the diagnosis if symptoms change or test results warrant further investigation
When any of these steps are rushed, ignored, or improperly performed, the risk of misdiagnosis increases. Our San Antonio medical misdiagnosis lawyer can evaluate whether a provider’s actions deviated from what a reasonably careful medical professional would have done under similar circumstances.
Common Types of Misdiagnosis
Medical misdiagnosis can take several forms, each with potentially severe consequences for patients. Common types include:
Missed Diagnosis
A missed diagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider fails to identify an existing medical condition altogether. This often happens when symptoms are dismissed or attributed to a less serious issue.
Incorrect Diagnosis
An incorrect diagnosis means the patient is told they have the wrong condition. This can lead to unnecessary medications, procedures, or surgeries while the true condition goes untreated.
Delayed Diagnosis
A delayed diagnosis happens when a condition is eventually identified, but not in a timely manner. Even short delays can be critical in cases involving cancer, infections, strokes, or heart conditions.
Failure to Diagnose a Secondary Condition
In some cases, a provider may diagnose one condition but overlook a related or more serious underlying problem, resulting in incomplete or ineffective treatment.
Common Causes of Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis is often preventable. Many diagnostic errors stem from avoidable mistakes or systemic failures within the healthcare system. Common causes include:
- Failure to order appropriate tests or diagnostic imaging
- Misinterpretation of test results, such as X-rays, MRIs, or lab work
- Inadequate patient evaluation or rushed appointments
- Poor communication between healthcare providers or departments
- Failure to refer patients to specialists when symptoms warrant further evaluation
- Overreliance on assumptions or outdated medical information
In busy San Antonio hospitals and clinics, time pressures and staffing shortages can contribute to these errors. However, workload and efficiency concerns do not excuse negligent medical care.
Long-Term Effects of Misdiagnosis
The long-term consequences of a medical misdiagnosis can be life-altering. Depending on the condition and length of delay, patients may experience:
- Disease progression that could have been prevented with early treatment
- Permanent organ damage or disability
- Reduced treatment options or poorer prognosis
- Unnecessary surgeries or invasive procedures
- Chronic pain and diminished quality of life
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of trust in healthcare providers
- Wrongful death in severe cases
Families may also face overwhelming medical bills, lost income, and the emotional burden of caring for a loved one whose injuries were entirely preventable. Our San Antonio medical misdiagnosis lawyer can pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
Proving Medical Misdiagnosis in Texas
Medical misdiagnosis claims in Texas are complex and require strong evidence. To succeed, an injured patient generally must prove:
- A doctor-patient relationship existed
- The healthcare provider owed a duty of care
- The provider breached the accepted standard of care
- The breach directly caused injury or harm
- The patient suffered measurable damages
Misdiagnosis FAQs
Is every misdiagnosis considered medical malpractice?
No. Medicine is not an exact science. A misdiagnosis becomes malpractice only when the healthcare provider fails to act in accordance with accepted medical standards.
What conditions are most commonly misdiagnosed?
Conditions frequently involved in misdiagnosis claims include cancer, heart attacks, strokes, infections, sepsis, autoimmune disorders, and neurological conditions.
How long do I have to file a misdiagnosis claim in Texas?
Texas generally imposes a two-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases, though exceptions may apply. Acting quickly is essential.
Can hospitals be held liable for misdiagnosis?
Yes. Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems may be liable if the misdiagnosis resulted from employee negligence, inadequate staffing, or systemic failures.
What compensation is available in a misdiagnosis case?
Compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, and, in some cases, wrongful death damages.
Why Families Turn To Our Firm
People come to us after a suspected misdiagnosis because they are looking for more than a name on a billboard. They want a firm that will truly stand beside them, explain the process, and be ready to fight hospitals and insurance companies when necessary. That is the role we work to fill for every client.
Our firm is a true family operation. Several generations of attorneys work together every day, and that unity shapes how we handle cases and how we treat clients. Families across the San Antonio area tell us they felt like they were dealing with people who saw them as individuals, not file numbers. We take time to answer questions, return calls, and keep you updated so you are never left in the dark.
We also bring the firepower of a litigation-focused practice. Our track record includes more than $200 million recovered and multiple eight-figure verdicts in serious injury and wrongful death matters. We prepare every case for trial, and we are known for taking cases all the way to a jury in Bexar County when that is what justice requires. That reputation often increases settlement leverage because defense lawyers know we are willing to see a case through.
Our founder began his career inside a premier insurance defense firm, which gave him insight into how insurers and large medical systems analyze risk and defend claims. Several of our attorneys tried criminal cases as prosecutors before turning to civil trials. Together, we operate as a coordinated attorney team on each matter, which is especially important in a complex area like misdiagnosis, where records, timelines, and medical opinions must all fit together clearly for a judge or jury.
Call (830) 264-6297 to speak with our team today.