Michigan Lab Mistake Lawsuit Lawyer

Our medical negligence attorneys file lawsuits for patients harmed by lab mistakes. Physicians rely on accurate test results to determine the proper diagnosis of the patient. The studies also help doctors exclude certain conditions if the results appear to be in the normal range.

Laboratory mistakes can be very costly and even cause death. Many patients receive the wrong treatment or no treatment at all because of these errors. Often, the proper required treatment is delayed until the error is uncovered and the patient suffers serious harm.

• Different types of lab tests
• Common examples of lab testing mistakes
• Can I file a lawsuit for a lab test mistake?
• Settlements for inaccurate lab test results
• Lab testing mistake settlement example

Different Types of Lab Tests

The three most common types of lab tests are urine tests, blood tests, and tumor markers. Each test measures levels of chemical components in body fluids and tissues. Physicians run many tests during routine wellness exams. Other tests are given when diagnosing a patient’s symptoms and complaints.

Tests provide clues to medical providers to support a medical diagnosis. This could include kidney function, diabetes, cholesterol, infections, and even cancer. Most hospitals and clinics have in-house labs to analyze the results for the ordering doctor. Some clinics and doctor’s offices sent the samples to outside labs.

Unfortunately, lab results are often misinterpreted or reported improperly. When this happens, the patient does not receive the necessary treatment.

Common Examples of Lab Testing Mistakes

Lab errors can occur from the actual performance of the test to the reporting of the results. There are several steps throughout that process that cause serious errors. These include:

• Use of non-sterile containers for samples
• Mislabeling test tubes and specimen containers
• Contamination of the samples in the testing process
• Assigning a result to the wrong patient
• Losing and misplacing a sample
• Reporting the wrong result
• Utilizing improper “normal” ranges for a patient
• Improper interpretation of the results by doctors and nurses
• Failing to notify physicians of abnormal results

In addition, there are occasions in which the laboratory reports an abnormal result to a medical office or clinic but the doctor and patient are not notified of it. Other times, the office will receive the report but the medical staff will not notify the patient or physician. These errors also result in serious harm.

Can I Sue for a Lab Testing Mistake?

You do have legal rights if you were injured due to a lab testing mistake. These mistakes cause patients to undergo unnecessary medical procedures and surgeries. They also delay necessary treatments for other conditions that affect the health of the patient.

Our medical negligence attorneys file several types of lawsuits related to lab errors. First, if the error was due to the lab itself, you can likely file a negligence case. These lawsuits are filed when there is contamination, wrong result reporting, mixing up samples, and failing to timely send reports.

If the mistakes were caused by the drawing of the sample or occurred after the lab reported proper results to the doctor’s office, this would give rise to a lab testing lawsuit. Sometimes, there is a combination of both ordinary negligence and medical malpractice. In either situation, the injured patient and family can sue for compensation. These lawsuits result in substantial settlement payout amounts.  A lab mistake lawyer at our law firm will review your records and file your case.

Settlements for Inaccurate Lab Results

The settlement amounts in lab negligence lawsuits and cases involving medical malpractice include compensation for pain and suffering, loss of income, and payment of medical expenses.  Because many patients have necessary treatment delayed, the harm is very serious and often life-threatening.

In cases involving the death of a patient, the surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit. These cases demand payment for the loss of the loved one, the income and services of the decedent, and other compensation. These tragic errors are devastating to a family.

Lab Mistake Medical Malpractice Case Study

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a Michigan hospital due to a lab mistake.

A married woman and mother of five children presented to the hospital emergency department due to complaints of abdominal pain. The emergency room doctor ordered a urinalysis to determine if she had a urinary tract infection (UTI).

However, the nursing staff never had the urinalysis done and the ER doctor discharged her home without the test. She developed a severe infection which caused sepsis. She died three days later.

The lawsuit alleged the death was preventable and settled for $ 2.6 million.

Get Help from Our Michigan Lab Mistake Attorneys

Our lab mistake attorneys can help you and your family after a lab error or lab mistake. We will get all of your medical records and lab results and evaluate them to see if you were the victim of an error. If you did suffer serious harm, we will file a lawsuit demanding compensation for your injuries.

There are no legal fees or expenses unless you receive a settlement check. If our investigation determines that you do not have a case for any reason, you owe us nothing.

Contact us today to get started on your case. There are time deadlines for pursuing lawsuits. If you miss the deadline, your case will be barred forever!