What Legal Options Are Available If I Was Misdiagnosed?

Jacksonville Doctor Accused Of Misdiagnosing Patients

Posted on June 01, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

A Jacksonville neurologist has agreed to pay $150,000 to the U.S. Treasury for intentionally misdiagnosing patients and overbilling federal healthcare programs.

Details from the case allege the neurologist purposefully misdiagnosed patients with life-changing neurological illnesses, and then used testing and other procedures to bill Medicare. The doctor would diagnose patients with illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, a condition that can cause permanent paralysis and disability.

Reimbursing the U.S. Treasury for defrauding federal health care programs is one of many problems now facing the Jacksonville neurologist. Earlier in February, former patients began filing medical malpractice lawsuits against the doctor.

Why Should Patients Injured By A Misdiagnosis Contact An Attorney?

Some of the patients claim they underwent risky and expensive procedures, and many were not necessary. One woman filing a lawsuit spent thousands of dollars on multiple sclerosis treatments, even though she did not actually have the illness. Another patient claims she spent $28,000 on medications for an illness she never had.

Allegations against the doctor were part of a larger whistle-blower case, and the hospital he worked for recently settled with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for $2.5 million. The doctor at the center of the lawsuits was dismissed from his position at the hospital in 2011.

Being misdiagnosed with life-changing illnesses can have multiple financial and emotional consequences. Patients looking to recover damages from negligent healthcare practitioners should contact a medical malpractice attorney to explore available options.

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Tags: Misdiagnosis

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