Pathology Malpractice

Pathologists play a vital role in diagnosing and treating life-threatening diseases. If you have suffered harm due to a pathology error, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the at-fault pathologist. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore pathology malpractice lawyers can thoroughly review the facts of your case and help you advocate for the compensation that you need to deal with your injuries. We have a history of strong results for injured patients, including some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Maryland history, and we will take the time to understand the complexities of your case and come up with a strategy accordingly.

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, pathologists are at greater risk of malpractice claims than many other specialties and are more likely to have unfavorable outcomes when those claims are litigated. Pathologists have very specific jobs when diagnosing diseases. Pathology requires examining tissue samples and cells in body fluids under a microscope and making a diagnosis based upon the findings and observations. A common example is a biopsy to determine whether there is cancer present. A mistake in interpreting such a biopsy could lead to a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Alternatively, it could result in having extensive amounts of unnecessary treatment. Pathology errors can happen in a number of ways, including but not limited to:

• Failing to sterilize instruments for procedures such as biopsies;
• Failing to diagnose cancer;
• Misreading or misinterpreting test results;
• Mixing up patient specimens;
• Putting the wrong patient's name on a pathology report;
• Mixing up patients;
• Recording the wrong information from a test;
• Misdiagnosing a patient; or
• Failing to communicate test results to the ordering physician.

Pathologists typically do not provide patient care directly, which is why many patients might not even know that a pathologist was involved in their care. Nonetheless, pathologist malpractice can have devastating effects for a patient's health. If you have suffered an injury because of a pathologist's oversight or error at a Baltimore hospital, a pathologist malpractice attorney will likely be able to recover damages for you through a medical malpractice claim.

In Maryland, medical malpractice takes place when a medical professional causes injuries or death by failing to use the standard of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same specialty would have used under the same circumstances. In the context of malpractice committed by a pathologist, this happens when a pathologist injures a patient by failing to use the standard of care that a reasonable pathologist would have used in the same situation. In order to establish malpractice in Maryland, a Baltimore pathology malpractice attorney must prove the following elements by a preponderance of the evidence: a duty of care, a breach of duty by the pathologist, actual and proximate cause leading to the injuries, and actual damages.

You should know that certain procedural requirements must be satisfied before a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed in a Maryland court. The Maryland medical malpractice statute mandates that these claims must initially be filed with the Director of the Health Claims Arbitration Office. Plaintiffs are also required to submit a certificate from a qualified expert saying that the pathologist in question deviated from the accepted standard of care, and that deviation was a direct cause of the patient's injury.

The consequences of pathology malpractice can be devastating. If you have suffered injuries due to pathologist negligence, you may be entitled to damages for your harm. We can examine your case and help you identify whether malpractice occurred. At Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to recovering full and fair compensation in each case that we undertake. We are dedicated to providing personalized attention to each client, and we make ourselves available consistently to answer their questions and address their concerns. You should be aware that we take on clients from across the state of Maryland. For more information, do not hesitate to call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.