We place a lot of faith into doctors, especially when it comes to caring for our children. Kids are often unable to accurately express what they’re experiencing — if they can speak at all. While parents have an obligation to communicate on their child’s behalf as much as possible, doctors are trained to take those pieces of information and come up with a diagnosis.

What happens when a doctor misdiagnoses a child and it leads to severe injury, illness, or even death? Recently, one Missouri family was awarded $3.2 million in a medical malpractice case. The family lost their one-year-old child thanks to a physicians assistant’s misdiagnosis. The “pale and lethargic” toddler was briefly examined, diagnosed with an ear infection and sent home with a prescription for antibiotics. Three hours later, the child died.

The misdiagnosis was not the first one. The toddler’s mother had taken her child to the doctor several months before, for a prolonged fever. The child was diagnosed with pneumonia and again, sent home. “According to the autopsy, Kyler had acute heart failure from a clot in a giant coronary artery aneurism which is what caused his death. Kawasaki’s disease causes inflammation of the blood vessels in children and infants.” One symptom of the disease is prolonged fever.

That’s enough to terrify any parent. After all, most of us rely on doctors because we are not personally trained in medicine. In the aforementioned case, both misdiagnoses led to the worst imaginable outcome; but plenty of children and adults suffer every day from misdiagnoses. What can be done?

Medical Malpractice in Ohio

If you believe that your child has been a victim of medical malpractice, it’s crucial that you see an attorney as soon as possible. Licensed healthcare providers have a duty to provide adequate care. If they fail in that duty, and that failure causes injury, illness or death, they can be held responsible.

In Ohio, you have just one year to file a medical malpractice suit. The clock starts ticking as soon as you are injured or discover the injury. (You may be able to extend this time frame based on the individual facts of your case.)

Ohio also places a strict cap on medical malpractice damages. Make sure that you talk to your attorney about what you can expect to recover. Misdiagnoses can be tragic—an experienced attorney will help you hold healthcare providers accountable.

Call a Medical Malpractice Attorney for Help

Healthcare providers are often overbooked and overworked, leading to a lower standard of care. Your child should not have to suffer as a result. I’ll Make Them Pay!® When you call me at 877.944.4373 for a consultation, we’ll discuss your options together.