Failure to Diagnose or Wrongful Diagnosis of Ectopic Pregnancy Malpractice Lawsuit

“Can I sue for medical malpractice if my doctor failed to diagnose or wrongfully diagnosed an ectopic pregnancy?”

“I lost my pregnancy due to wrongful diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. Can I file a claim against the hospital?”

Sadly, these are questions that we have been asked as medical malpractice attorneys in the state of California, and it pains us to know that so many women have suffered at the hands of negligent doctors and medical facilities.

Yes, you may have grounds to seek compensation from a malpractice lawsuit for misdiagnosis of or failure to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy. While many lawsuits are filed against the OB/GYN, lawsuits can also be filed against other medical staff and hospital / healthcare services providers, like Kaiser Permanente.

Recovered damages from a doctor malpractice case include cost of medical treatments, emotional distress, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In the event the patient dies from injuries / complications resulting from negligence by a physician, loved ones may be entitled to wrongful death compensation.

Our legal team is standing by to help with all your question and concerns. Please give us a call and talk to a lawyer with experience in lawsuits for medical malpractice.

What It Means to have an Ectopic Pregnancy

In a normal pregnancy, the baby, i.e., the fetus, grows inside the mother’s uterus. With an ectopic pregnancy, however, the fetus develops in another area, like one of the fallopian tubes. Risk factors that can increase the possibility of ectopic pregnancy include:

• Endometriosis
• Surgery in the fallopian tubes, or in the pelvic or abdominal region
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Sexually transmitted infections, like gonorrhea
• Prior history of ectopic pregnancy

Keep in mind that these are risk factors, but not definitive indicators as to whether a woman will have an ectopic pregnancy. That’s why doctors must conduct thorough exams and use diagnostic tools like ultrasounds to check on how the fetus is developing.

If the condition is left untreated, the fetus will eventually grow in size to the point where it causes the fallopian tube to rupture. This will cause excessive bleeding and other complications that must be treated immediately. Depending on the mother’s condition, the doctor will have to decide if it’s best to remove the fetus, or both the fetus and fallopian tube.

An experienced and attentive doctor should be able to detect an ectopic pregnancy early on and recommend the right course of treatment so that the mother’s life can be saved.

Losing a Fetus because of Wrongful Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis

Even when a doctor misdiagnoses a patient, there may not be sufficient grounds to sue the physician for medical malpractice. There are many issues that can lead to a faulty diagnosis, but in order to go ahead with a lawsuit, the doctor must be guilty of negligence that meets the standard for malpractice.

Essentially, you would have to prove that the doctor failed to meet a standard of care, safety, and treatment that is expected under the given circumstance. In essence, if you had gone to another doctor with the same experience and credentials, the ectopic pregnancy would have been diagnosed early and you would have received treatment to minimize long-term complications and injury.

To give you a better sense of what may constitute medical malpractice by a gynecologist or obstetrician, take a look at the following examples:

• Your doctor realized that you were having symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, but they did not ask you more probing questions about your symptoms or recommend tests to confirm their suspicions.
• You had symptoms of ectopic pregnancy, which were misinterpreted by your doctor. Because of their failure, you did not receive treatment early on, like medication to keep the fetus from growing.
• Your OB/ GYN diagnosed you with ectopic pregnancy, but delayed treating you for the condition. As a result, you suffered potentially fatal complications after a rupture in one of your fallopian tubes.
• The doctor prescribed medication that was inappropriate for your condition, so you suffered needlessly, even though a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was made early on.
• The OB/GYN or radiologist saw that a fetus could not be located in the uterus after looking at a routine scan, but they did not order additional tests that would have confirmed an ectopic pregnancy.
• During a surgical procedure for an ectopic pregnancy, your doctor did not take necessary precautions or made choices that deviated from accepted medical standards.

This is not a comprehensive list, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to verify your eligibility for an ectopic pregnancy medical malpractice case.

How We can Help

You have the right to file an ectopic pregnancy injury claim on your own, but hiring a lawyer is highly recommended. Medical malpractice lawsuits have very different standards and procedures compared to the average personal injury case. That’s why proving your right to sue is extremely challenging to accomplish by yourself.

Rest assured that the medical malpractice attorneys of Kenmore have decades of experience with lawsuits involving pregnancy and birth related complications. We are more than ready to build a solid case, fight for the damages you deserve, and take your case all the way to trial if necessary.

Protected by the Zero Fee Guarantee

We protect all victims of medical malpractice with the Zero Fee Guarantee. Under this system, you pay us $0 to represent you in a lawsuit for failure to diagnose or wrongful diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy. Upon obtaining your settlement from the other party, we will deduct a percentage of the funds to cover all legal fees. If we do not succeed in winning your case, we bill you $0 for any of the work and time that we invested in your case.

A free case review will help you learn more about this guarantee, so contact our law firm today.