Delayed Diagnosis: The Hidden Danger in Colorado Healthcare
Modern healthcare has made extraordinary advancements in diagnosing and treating disease. Yet, one of the most preventable and harmful forms of medical negligence continues to affect patients every day: delayed diagnosis.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to a delayed diagnosis, we’re here to help. Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. is deeply familiar with the life-altering consequences of delayed diagnosis malpractice in Colorado and has built a national reputation for holding healthcare providers accountable when their failures result in serious harm.
What Is Delayed Diagnosis?
Delayed diagnosis occurs when a medical provider fails to identify a condition in a timely manner, causing treatment to be postponed or missed altogether.
Unlike a simple medical misdiagnosis, which is a wrong diagnosis, delayed diagnosis involves a correct diagnosis that comes too late to prevent harm.
Commonly delayed conditions include:
- Cancer (breast, lung, colon, etc.)
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Infections like sepsis or meningitis
- Blood clots
- Internal bleeding
These conditions often require immediate attention. A delay of even a few hours or days can significantly hinder patient outcomes, reducing survival chances or leading to irreversible damage.
Causes of Diagnostic Delays
There are many reasons why a delayed diagnosis may occur in Colorado healthcare settings:
- Failure to order tests: Not conducting necessary imaging or lab work
- Misread test results: Radiologists or pathologists overlook abnormalities
- Poor communication: Results not relayed promptly to treating physicians
- Understaffed facilities: Leading to rushed exams or missed red flags
- Failure to follow up: Doctors not acting on suspicious symptoms
These failures may occur in hospitals, private clinics, urgent care centers, or during routine doctor visits. Unfortunately, many patients don’t realize the delay until their condition worsens.
How Delayed Diagnosis Affects Patients
When treatment is delayed, patients often face:
- More invasive procedures
- Longer hospital stays
- Increased medical costs
- Loss of function or quality of life
- Reduced life expectancy
In some cases, a delayed diagnosis transforms a treatable illness into a terminal condition. In fact, we’ve worked with patients across Colorado whose cancers went undetected until they were no longer operable or whose strokes weren’t diagnosed until after brain damage occurred. These tragedies are not just unfortunate—they are preventable.
Delayed Diagnosis and Medical Malpractice
Under Colorado law, medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care, and that failure is a cause of injury.
In delayed diagnosis cases, the key questions are:
- Did the provider act as a reasonably competent professional would under similar circumstances?
- Would an earlier diagnosis have led to a better outcome?
- Is the delay a cause of the harm suffered?
To move forward with a claim, patients must:
- File within the two-year statute of limitations (from the date of discovery)
- Provide a certificate of review from a qualified medical expert
Because these cases are complex, they require experienced Colorado medical malpractice attorneys who can connect medical evidence with legal standards. That’s where Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. comes in.
How Our Firm Investigates Diagnostic Errors
Proving a delayed diagnosis case demands more than a bad outcome. It requires a detailed investigation into where and how the healthcare system failed.
Our law firm works with top medical experts to:
- Review all medical records and test results
- Interview providers and staff
- Analyze timelines and compare them to clinical guidelines
- Identify whether an earlier diagnosis would have changed treatment
We also examine systemic problems, such as whether a hospital had policies in place for flagging urgent test results or ensuring proper communication between departments.
Healthcare Errors and Systemic Failures
Examples of healthcare errors and diagnostic mistakes include:
- A radiologist missing a tumor on a scan
- A family doctor dismissing symptoms as minor
- ER staff failing to recognize signs of a heart attack
- Lab results not entered into the system
These lapses are not just unfortunate events. They are actionable under Colorado malpractice law if they result in harm.
Who Can Be Liable?
Delayed diagnosis cases often involve multiple parties, including:
- Primary care physicians
- Radiologists and lab technicians
- Nurses and medical assistants
- Hospitals or healthcare systems
Under Colorado’s vicarious liability laws, institutions can be held accountable for the errors of their employees. We pursue claims not only against individual providers but also against the facilities and systems that contributed to the delay.
Compensation for Victims of Diagnostic Delays
If your claim is successful, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
Why Choose Leventhal Puga Braley P.C.?
Our firm is recognized nationwide for excellence in medical malpractice litigation. In fact, we’ve achieved some of the largest verdicts in Colorado history and are known for taking on challenging, high-stakes cases.
When your future depends on justice, you deserve a firm that delivers results. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Trial-Ready Representation: We prepare every case as if it’s going to court.
- Deep Medical Knowledge: Our legal team includes lawyers with extensive healthcare expertise.
- Personal Attention: We take the time to understand your story and fight for what you’ve lost.
- Top Recognition: Our attorneys have been listed in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and more.
What to Do If You Suspect a Delayed Diagnosis
If you believe a diagnosis was missed or made too late, take the following steps:
- Request All Medical Records – These are essential for evaluating your claim.
- Seek a Second Opinion – Get medical care as soon as you can.
- Call an Attorney – The sooner we can start investigating, the better.
Speak With Our Trusted Delayed Diagnosis Attorneys in Denver
You don’t have to navigate these complicated medical issues alone. Let a top Denver delayed diagnosis law firm advocate for your rights. Call Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906 to schedule a no-cost consultation today with one of our experienced Denver delayed diagnosis lawyers.