Q: Can I pursue a case against a doctor for misdiagnosis, if said misdiagnosis has caused chronic pain lasting for years?
I went to the doctor for a bug bite, but I was also getting migraines, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. This doctor analysed all of those symptoms separately instead of all together. I took the antibiotics she prescribed, but only got worse until my skin started getting splotchy red spots that appeared randomly hourly. Went to the ER, they took one look at me and said it was Late Stage Lyme Disease and that the PCP I went to should have caught it, and they ran tests to double check. They treated me which took care of the physical symptoms, but the permanent damage was already done to my joints, making it difficult to complete tasks at work and medical bills for doctor, er, and chiropractor visits.
A:
It's possible you could, but keep in mind that the assertion of the ER staff that the primary care physician should have caught it is not irrefutable evidence that creates an airtight case. It also appears that there is considerable passage of time, which is something that attorneys defending such a case would likely try to exploit if the matter went to trial. As a first step, you could contact a Minnesota med mal attorney. Many offer free initial consults, and would likely request the entire medical file to review with a physician if they felt there was a viable case they could pursue. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
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