Most cases of advanced kidney failure are preventable or delayable if properly diagnosed and treated. Failing to diagnose or treat kidney disease can lead to complete kidney failure and the need for a lifetime of prescription drugs, time-consuming kidney dialysis and one or more kidney transplant operations. It usually results in the premature death of the patient.
While medical negligence typically does not cause kidney disease, kidney failure can result from a failure to diagnose kidney disease in its earliest stages or a failure to treat kidney disease properly. In some cases, medical negligence involving a prescription drug error could cause acute renal failure.
Every medical professional has a duty to provide a reasonable standard of care to the patients they treat. This does not mean they must order every possible test and use every available technology on a fishing expedition. They must provide the level of competent medical care that other doctors would provide in similar circumstances.
- They should order tests that are “reasonable” and standard under the circumstances.
- They should review lab results in a timely manner.
- They should consult a specialist on difficult cases.
- If a specific illness is suspected, a general practitioner should refer the patient to a specialist who will be up to date on the latest knowledge in his or her field of specialization.
When medical professionals fail to provide a reasonable standard of care, they have been negligent. If that negligence results in harm to a patient, the patient can be compensated financially.
People who have been harmed by medical negligence – including patients experiencing kidney failure or with advanced kidney disease – can bring a medical malpractice lawsuit. They can seek compensation for lost wages and lost earning potential, medical costs, dialysis, medications, pain and suffering, and other expenses.
If you suspect medical negligence made your condition worse, talk to Steve about your suspicions. Steve can review your medical records with the assistance of a doctor to see if medical malpractice may have played a role. Call him at 410-625-4878 or his cell phone 443-854-2471.
Attorney Steve Heisler
Steve Heisler decided in 1996 that he was going to focus his law practice exclusively on injury cases. Since then, he has been representing injured people against insurance companies, disreputable medical practitioners and Big Pharma, and doing it with compassion, honesty and level-headed rationality. [ Attorney Bio ]
