Experienced Misdiagnosis Solicitors
Whether your condition was completely misdiagnosed, overlooked, or diagnosed too late to prevent serious harm, you deserve answers and compensation for the suffering you have endured. Medical professionals have a duty to investigate symptoms thoroughly, interpret test results accurately, and act swiftly when serious conditions are suspected.
At Garratts, our specialist misdiagnosis claims team brings over 30 years of experience to every case. We understand that behind every delayed diagnosis is a person whose life has been disrupted, whose trust has been broken, and whose health may never fully recover. Our dedicated solicitors work tirelessly to uncover what went wrong and secure the compensation you deserve.
For a free, confidential, and no-obligation consultation about your misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis claim, call us on 0161 665 3502, send an email to [email protected] or complete our contact form.
What is Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis?
Medical misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare professional incorrectly identifies your condition or fails to identify it at all. Delayed diagnosis means the correct diagnosis comes too late, when valuable time has been lost that could have prevented permanent harm.
Not every diagnostic error constitutes medical negligence. Medicine is complex, and some conditions are genuinely difficult to diagnose. However, healthcare professionals must follow established diagnostic protocols, order appropriate tests, and recognise red flag symptoms that warrant urgent investigation. When they fail to meet these standards and patients suffer as a result, this becomes medical negligence.
The consequences of misdiagnosis can be profound. Cancer that could have been treated successfully may spread beyond cure. Heart conditions left undiagnosed can lead to preventable heart attacks or strokes. Infections dismissed as minor ailments can develop into sepsis or cause permanent organ damage. In children, developmental conditions missed in crucial early years can mean lost opportunities for intervention that could have dramatically improved their quality of life.
At Garratts, we work with leading medical experts who can review your case and determine whether your diagnosis met acceptable medical standards. They will consider what a competent doctor, faced with your symptoms and test results, should have done differently. This expert insight is crucial in building a strong case for compensation.
Types of Misdiagnosis Claims
Our experienced team handles a wide range of diagnostic failure cases, each requiring detailed medical knowledge and thorough investigation. Common areas where we see diagnostic errors include:
Cancer Misdiagnosis
Cancer cases form a significant portion of our misdiagnosis claims. Time is critical in cancer treatment, and delays can mean the difference between curative and palliative care. We regularly handle cases involving:
- Breast cancer dismissed as benign lumps or mastitis
- Bowel cancer misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or haemorrhoids
- Lung cancer attributed to chest infections or smoking-related coughs
- Skin cancer overlooked or dismissed as benign moles
- Cervical cancer missed due to inadequate smear test interpretation
- Prostate cancer symptoms attributed to age-related changes
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Digestive system disorders can be particularly challenging to diagnose correctly, and misdiagnoses can have severe consequences. One of our notable cases involved a client who suffered from a delayed diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and was left without appropriate treatment for months. Despite her initial investigations being inconclusive, no alternative tests were conducted.
His condition deteriorated until she required life-saving emergency surgery, where surgeons discovered a severe bowel obstruction caused by the undiagnosed Crohn’s Disease. The delay in correct diagnosis meant she needed extensive emergency surgery and required an ileostomy, forcing her to live with a stoma bag for over two years.
While she eventually recovered enough to have this reversed, she endured years of unnecessary suffering, major surgery and severe psychological problems that might have been avoided with a proper investigation. We secured £150,000 in compensation for this preventable ordeal.
This case highlights how failing to thoroughly investigate symptoms can allow a serious condition to worsen, leading to devastating and potentially avoidable consequences.
Cardiovascular Conditions
Heart attacks and strokes can be prevented with proper diagnosis and treatment. We see cases where:
- Warning signs of heart disease were ignored or misinterpreted
- Mini-strokes (TIAs) were dismissed, leading to major strokes
- Blood clots were missed until they caused pulmonary embolisms
- Aortic aneurysms went undetected until rupture
Infections and Sepsis
What begins as a treatable infection can become life-threatening when diagnosis is delayed. Our cases include:
- Meningitis mistaken for flu or migraine
- Appendicitis dismissed as stomach upset until rupture
- Sepsis symptoms overlooked until organ failure begins
- Bone infections misdiagnosed as simple muscle strain
Neurological Conditions
Brain and nervous system conditions require prompt diagnosis to prevent permanent damage:
- Cauda equina syndrome dismissed as simple back pain
- Brain tumours attributed to stress or tension headaches
- Multiple sclerosis symptoms ignored for years
- Epilepsy misdiagnosed as panic attacks or fainting
Fractures and Orthopaedic Injuries
As illustrated in our case studies, missed fractures can lead to improper healing, chronic pain, and the need for more invasive surgery. We regularly see cases where X-rays were misinterpreted or symptoms of serious injury were dismissed.
Pregnancy and Gynaecological Conditions
Misdiagnosis in this area can affect fertility and maternal health:
- Ectopic pregnancies missed until life-threatening rupture
- Pre-eclampsia signs overlooked
- Endometriosis dismissed as normal period pain
- Ovarian cysts or cancer misdiagnosed
The Impact of Diagnostic Delays
The consequences of misdiagnosis extend far beyond physical health. Patients often describe the psychological trauma of learning their condition could have been treated more successfully if caught earlier. Many experience anger, depression, and loss of trust in medical professionals. Families watch loved ones suffer, knowing that earlier diagnosis might have changed everything.
Financial impacts can be severe. Lost earnings during extended illness, costs of private treatment sought after NHS failures, care needs that could have been avoided, and adaptations to homes all place enormous strain on families already dealing with serious illness. Our compensation claims address all these losses, not just the immediate medical consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How do I know if I have a valid misdiagnosis claim?
A: You may have a claim if your diagnosis was delayed or wrong, and this caused you additional harm that could have been avoided with proper medical care. Key indicators include:
- symptoms that were dismissed without proper investigation
- test results that were misinterpreted
- failure to refer you to specialists when needed
- or a condition that was far more advanced when finally diagnosed than it should have been.
During our free consultation, we will assess whether your experience constitutes medical negligence.
Q2: What if my condition had been serious anyway?
A: Even if your condition would have required treatment regardless, delayed diagnosis often makes outcomes worse. For example, early-stage cancer might need only minor surgery, while advanced cancer requires chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and extensive surgery.
You can claim for the additional suffering, more invasive treatment, and poorer prognosis caused by the delay. We will establish what difference earlier diagnosis would have made to your treatment and recovery.
Q3: How long do I have to make a misdiagnosis claim?
A: Generally, you have three years from the date of misdiagnosis or from when you first realised that your condition was misdiagnosed. This "date of knowledge" is important.
Many people only discover they were misdiagnosed when they finally receive the correct diagnosis, which could be years later. For children, the three-year period begins on their 18th birthday. However, we strongly advise seeking legal advice as soon as possible while evidence is still readily available.
Q4: Will making a claim affect my ongoing NHS treatment?
A: No, absolutely not. Your legal claim is entirely separate from your medical care. NHS staff have a professional duty to provide appropriate treatment regardless of any legal proceedings.
Many of our clients continue receiving excellent care from the same hospital where the misdiagnosis occurred. Healthcare professionals understand that negligence claims are about systematic improvements and compensation, not personal attacks.
Q5: What if multiple doctors missed my diagnosis?
A: If several healthcare professionals failed to diagnose your condition correctly, this may actually strengthen your case by demonstrating systematic failures. We will investigate each interaction you had with medical professionals, whether GPs, hospital doctors, or specialists, to establish where opportunities for correct diagnosis were missed. Each failure to diagnose correctly when they should have done so can form part of your claim.
