Some Clinical Negligence Claims are the Result of Not Getting a Second Opinion

The last thing I want to do after being misdiagnosed with something is to have to see the doctor who did it. It is not that I am afraid of him or am averse to reliving the trauma I underwent, the thing I do not want to have to go through is the feeling of extreme anger I feel for him.

Before being misdiagnosed, I lived a relatively active life. I went to the gym three times a week and would take my mountain bike for a ride in the countryside every Sunday. At the end of each physical activity, I would end up at my favourite pub with my mates for a beer or two to complete my relaxation.

But after being misdiagnosed with some stomach disease, I was put under preventive surgery. The result is that I am now unable to walk a few metres without feeling the need to go to the bathroom.

I can’t exercise in the gym for more than a few minutes; I can’t go farther than my driveway on my bike; and I can’t climb more than a flight of stairs anymore.

With so much change applied to my lifestyle, it only occurred to me to seek a second opinion. I know I should have done that before undergoing the knife, but I trusted my doctor and it never occurred to me to get another opinion. I am now paying the price for that error.

Not wanting to compound one mistake with another, I wasted no time in consulting a solicitor about my situation. And after a couple of meetings, he will be filing clinical negligence claims for this misdiagnosis.

It turns out that my situation is not composed of one, but two problems. The first is that I was misdiagnosed with some stomach disease. And the second is that the operation I underwent two years ago was not a success because I can not even walk a few steps without having to go to the bathroom.

Looking back, all of this could have been easily avoided if I had just gotten a second opinion. But not wanting to hurt the feelings of my doctor has left me hurting.

I was told by my solicitor that some clinical negligence claims are the result of people like me, who do not get a second opinion. So if you have been told by your doctor to undergo an operation, do yourself a favour and visit at least one other doctor for confirmation. You might never need that operation at all.