Radiology includes x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, and worldwide, radiologic errors are shockingly common, ranging from 3-5%, depending on the study. When that mistake results in a missed or incorrect diagnosis, the consequences can be devastating. The impact of a misread imaging test will vary depending on what your doctor should have diagnosed.
For example, if your doctor misread your imaging tests and missed cancerous activity, your cancer could progress to a stage making treatment impractical or impossible. Missing a hairline fracture could lead to a complete breakage of the bone if a doctor does not treat it quickly enough. Misreading the film and diagnosing a patient with the wrong ailment (e.g., brain tumor instead of cerebral hemorrhage) could lead to much mental anguish and incorrect treatment.
If you believe that a misread scan allowed your condition to worsen, it’s important to speak with a New York medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. Call 1-800-NOW-HURT to schedule a free consultation with our team at Buttafuoco & Associates.
How Do Imaging Errors Happen?
Outsourcing
In the past, hospitals and other medical centers had in-house radiologists to review all x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds. It has become more common, however, for medical providers to outsource examining and interpreting those patient scans offsite to another party in order to save on costs.
According to a 2024 study published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science, outsourced evaluation of radiological imaging resulted in significant underreporting of key features in the scans.
In other words, offsite, third-party radiologists more often omitted potentially important details from their evaluations. This could have devastating health effects for the patients, leading to undiagnosed illnesses and resulting in significant medical costs, lost wages, or even death.
Understaffing
You may be familiar with the shortage of doctors and nurses in the United States, but there is also a shortage of radiologists. According to a study published in the European Journal of Medicine, radiologists were more likely to make an error on days when they evaluated 21% more scans than normal.
Since individuals in the United States lead longer lives and require more medical care, the demand for radiologists has increased, but staffing has not kept up. Given this trend, we may see more errors in the coming years.
Negligence
When medical staff are negligent in their duty of care, this is considered medical malpractice, and you may have a personal injury case. In the context of radiology, medical malpractice includes:
- Missing a suspicious mass on a chest X-ray, leading to a late-stage cancer diagnosis
- Misreading a bone fracture as a film defect
- Failing to retake blurry or unreadable images
- Seeing something abnormal but never following up
- Reviewing the wrong patient’s scan altogether
If you have experienced any of these, especially if you have been diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening condition, working with a New York medical malpractice attorney may be in your best interest.
What does a Radiology Malpractice Case Involve?
Radiology malpractice cases can be complex, and their success depends on proving both the error and the harm it caused. A medical malpractice suit, to be successful, must prove that:
- A qualified radiologist would have correctly interpreted your scan.
- The radiologist’s failure caused real harm, such as delayed treatment, unnecessary procedures, disease progression, or even a preventable death.
Determining liability is also key. Depending on the case, the responsible party could be:
- The radiologist who misread the scan
- The facility that hired an unqualified contractor
- A doctor who failed to follow up or ignored warning signs in your history
These cases almost always require expert testimony from an experienced radiologist. They will review your imaging and pinpoint where the mistake happened and how it affected your health.
At Buttafuoco & Associates, we handle the entire process of building your case–we gather medical records, secure expert witnesses, and build a robust case on your behalf.
Don’t hesitate! Get in touch with a medical malpractice attorney serving New York, and get the compensation you need.
Call 1-800-NOW-HURT today.