New Jersey Eye Condition Misdiagnosis Attorneys

Diagnosis Malpractice Involving Eye Conditions

Serious eye conditions may be misdiagnosed, or the eye specialist fails to diagnose a condition that can lead to blindness or even loss of life. When this occurs, whether the specialist is an optometrist, ophthalmologist or other eye doctor, it may be a case of medical malpractice. A failure to diagnose or misdiagnosed eye condition lawsuit can be filed in New Jersey if this occurs.

On This Page

• Types of Eye Conditions that are Commonly Undiagnosed
  • How are Eye Conditions Misdiagnosed or Not Identified?
  • Failure to Diagnose vs. Misdiagnosis
  • What Complications can Arise from a Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis of an Eye Condition?
• How can Malpractice be Proven?
  • Who is Responsible?
  • What are the Damages?
• The Right Lawyer – It Matters
  • Statute of Limitations in New Jersey
• Contact Simonson Goodman Platzer PC Today

Call (800) 817-5029 today!

As reported by JAMA Ophthalmology (Journal of the American Medical Association), one in four cases of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was missed by eye specialists, a condition that left untreated can lead to blindness. This condition can be slowed if identified in the early stages, and when an eye specialist fails to diagnose the condition, it may be a case of medical malpractice. Other eye conditions that may not have been diagnosed include:

• Glaucoma
• Macular hole
• Retinoschisis
• Central vein occlusion
• Optic neuritis
• Eye damage from wrongly performed LASIK surgery

How are Eye Conditions Misdiagnosed or Not Identified?

A patient who presents to a specialist with a specific set of symptoms should be fully tested to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms. Symptoms can include:

• Blurry vision
• Dark spots in vision
• Wavy areas in vision

Failure to Diagnose vs. Misdiagnosis

A failure to diagnose refers to the medical professional failing to identify an eye disease, and a misdiagnosis involves attributing the symptoms to another condition or disease and failing to treat the actual condition. This can be a disaster for the patient, who now is subject to the advance of the disease or condition and may eventually lose all vision.

What Complications can Arise from a Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis of an Eye Condition?

When a serious eye condition remains untreated, very serious complications can arise, including:

• Blindness
• Significantly reduced vision
• Difficulty seeing in central, left, or right fields of vision

A successful lawsuit must prove a set of elements, which include:

• The medical professional failed to diagnose or misdiagnosed a condition.
• The specialist delayed the diagnosis, allowing the eye condition to advance.
• The failure did not meet the accepted standard of care for an eye specialist.
• The failure allowed the disease or condition to advance, leading to damages.

Who is Responsible?

In cases in which an eye condition is not diagnosed or was wrongly diagnosed, several parties may be held liable, based on the facts in the case. The parties named in the lawsuit may include an eye clinic, hospital, or eye specialist. At Simonson Goodman Platzer PC, our legal team, when representing the injured in these cases, thoroughly evaluates the facts to ensure all liable parties are named in a lawsuit.

What are the Damages?

The damages pursued in a case of eye condition or disease misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose include:

All medical costs, current and estimated for the future

• Pain and suffering
• Lost income from work
• Reduced earning capacity
• Reduced quality of life
• Permanent disability (blindness, reduced vision)

Your medical malpractice attorney plays a very important role in the outcome of a lawsuit or claim. Your legal counsel gathers all relevant supporting evidence, crafts a compelling case, and presents your case, whether in mediation, or in civil court. It is imperative that you have the support of an attorney that is dedicated to you, your family, and the pursuit of justice and full compensation.

Statute of Limitations in New Jersey

Under New Jersey law, a person injured by an act of medical malpractice or medical negligence is limited to two years, after which you are barred from the right to file a lawsuit. It is of extreme importance that the case is filed in a timely manner.

If you are the victim of medical malpractice and have suffered serious consequences due to a misdiagnosed or undiagnosed eye condition in New Jersey, connect with Simonson Goodman Platzer PC at (800) 817-5029 today.