Thyroid misdiagnosis lawyers

New Jersey Misdiagnosed Thyroid Condition Lawyers

Relentless representation for patients in Edison, Toms River, Red Bank and throughout NJ

A delay or a misdiagnosis of thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or other thyroid disorders can be deadly or can mean that treatable conditions become untreatable. The doctors who treat thyroid disorders should understand the signs and symptoms of thyroid conditions, should order the correct diagnostic tests at the proper times, and should interpret the results of those tests correctly.

When your doctor fails to make a correct diagnosis of your thyroid condition, our New Jersey thyroid misdiagnosis attorneys have the experience and resources to help you obtain justice. We file medical malpractice claims when physicians, hospitals, medical technicians, and other healthcare providers fail to provide competent care. Our lawyers work with thyroid and cancer specialists who can explain the proper standards of care, why your medical team failed to meet those standards, and the health and financial consequences of the failed thyroid diagnosis.

How can we help?

What does the thyroid gland do?

The thyroid is a gland that is critical to healthy bodily functions. The Cleveland Clinic states that the thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck under your skin.

It’s a part of your endocrine system and controls many of your body’s important functions by producing and releasing (secreting) certain hormones. Your thyroid’s main job is to control the speed of your metabolism (metabolic rate), which is the process of how your body transforms the food you consume into energy. All of the cells in your body need energy to function. When your thyroid isn’t working properly, it can impact your entire body.

Your thyroid hormones affect your heart rate, breathing, digestion, brain development, body temperature, mental activity, skin and bones, and fertility.

What thyroid symptoms do doctors often miss?

The thyroid is also too often overlooked by doctors who hear complaints or observe health problems such as:

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Dry skin
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Hair loss
  • Heartbeat irregularities
  • Unexplained hoarseness
  • Weight gain or weight loss

All too often, patients who have such symptoms are ignored when they report the symptoms to their doctors. The result may be that thyroid disease goes undiagnosed, resulting in even more complications. With proper and timely treatment, many thyroid-related problems can be successfully addressed.

What are common types of thyroid disease?

The types of thyroid disease include:

  • Hypothyroidism (when the thyroid does not produce enough hormone; may be caused by thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis). Doctors should look for the following conditions, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
    • Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition
    • Thyroid nodules
    • Thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid)
    • Postpartum thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid that happens after giving birth)
    • Excess iodine in your blood from diet and/or medication
    • Over-treatment of hypothyroidism through medication
    • A benign (noncancerous) tumor in your pituitary gland
  • Hyperthyroidism (when the thyroid produces too much hormone; may be caused by thyroiditis or Grave’s disease).
  • Thyroid cancer (treatable if caught in early stages).

Another thyroid disorder is a goiter – an enlarged thyroid.

We can evaluate your case if a misdiagnosis led to worse health problems. If we represent you, we will seek to make you financially whole through a malpractice claim against healthcare professionals who did not diagnose or properly treat your thyroid disease, resulting in further complications that could have been avoided.

What are the requirements to file a medical malpractice claim in New Jersey?

Our New Jersey thyroid lawyers file thyroid misdiagnosis lawsuits including hypothyroidism misdiagnosis, hyperthyroidism misdiagnosis, and thyroid cancer misdiagnosis. The basic requirements for filing this type of medical malpractice claim include:

  • A doctor-patient relationship existed.
  • The physician’s misdiagnosis was due to negligence such as failing to comply with the standard of care for the doctor’s type of medical practice.
  • The patient suffered injuries or died due to the negligence.

We work with experienced physicians who understand the proper standard of care for treating thyroid conditions, why your doctor may have failed that duty of care, and what treatments can be used to help address the damage from the delayed diagnosis.

What are the consequences of a misdiagnosed thyroid condition in New Jersey?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, while you can live without your thyroid, you will have to take hormone replacement medication for the rest of your life - to stay in good health and prevent certain side effects and symptoms. “Thyroid removal surgery, known as a thyroidectomy, is a common surgery that can treat certain thyroid conditions.”

Treatments, if the thyroid condition is caught in a timely manner, include:

  • Medications such as:
    • Antithyroid medications
    • Beta-blockers
    • Radioactive iodine
    • Hormone medications
  • Surgeries such as:
    • This is a surgical removal of the thyroid gland. It’s a “first-line treatment for thyroid cancer.”
    • A lobectomy, which involves removing only a part of your thyroid.
    • Radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

A misdiagnosis of your thyroid condition may prevent these treatments from being used to help manage your thyroid. A misdiagnosis of a patient’s thyroid disorder could be fatal.

Do you have a thyroid misdiagnosis lawyer near me?

Our New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers meet clients at our offices located in:

  • Edison, NJ at 40 Ethel Road and
  • Toms River, NJ at 563 Lakehurst Road

We understand the unique challenges involved with holding doctors and hospitals accountable when their delay in treating your thyroid condition causes unbearable pain or the loss of a loved one. We work with a network of doctors including thyroid specialists who can affirm when medical providers fail in their duty of care to you.

Speak with a skilled New Jersey medical malpractice lawyer who handles misdiagnosed thyroid condition cases

Have you suffered for a long time and experienced worsening health after a New Jersey doctor failed to diagnose your thyroid condition? To determine whether you have a medical malpractice claim, talk to NJ medical malpractice lawyer with experience. The New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP have helped many clients recover compensation when misdiagnoses or a doctor’s failure to diagnose a medical problem led to much worse complications.

Call our Edison, Toms River, and Red Bank offices or contact us to arrange a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey medical mistakes lawyer.