Modern medicine relies heavily on imaging studies to confirm or rule out serious conditions, guide treatment decisions, and detect disease at its earliest and most treatable stages. When radiological errors occur, patients may continue living with an undiagnosed illness while reassurances or incomplete reports mask the true danger. A delayed diagnosis due to radiology malpractice often unfolds invisibly, with consequences emerging only after a condition has progressed beyond the point where timely intervention could have changed the outcome. If you were harmed by radiology malpractice, you may be owed damages, and you should talk to an attorney as soon as possible. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our skilled Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys represent individuals whose health and futures were compromised by radiological negligence, and if you hire us, we will advocate aggressively on your behalf. We represent injured parties throughout Syracuse, Rochester, and Upstate New York.
How Radiology Errors Lead to Delayed Diagnosis and Serious HarmRadiology plays a central role in diagnosing conditions such as cancer, strokes, internal bleeding, fractures, infections, and vascular disease. A delayed diagnosis due to radiology malpractice may occur when a radiologist fails to identify an abnormality on an X-ray, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, or mammogram, or when findings are improperly characterized as benign. In other cases, the radiologist may correctly identify a concerning finding but fail to clearly communicate its urgency to the treating physician, or critical results may not be transmitted at all. Delays can also arise when imaging studies are not compared to prior scans, when poor-quality images are not repeated, or when follow-up imaging recommendations are omitted from reports.
The harm resulting from a delayed diagnosis due to radiology malpractice can be severe and irreversible. A missed tumor may grow and metastasize. An undetected intracranial bleed may expand until it causes permanent brain injury. A fracture left unidentified may heal improperly, leading to chronic pain and disability. Patients may require more invasive treatment, suffer avoidable complications, or lose the chance for curative care altogether.
Establishing Liability for Delayed Diagnosis Due to Radiology MalpracticeA person injured by a delayed diagnosis resulting from radiology malpractice will often seek compensation via a civil lawsuit. To establish liability in a medical malpractice lawsuit, a plaintiff usually must show the defendant’s negligence. In New York, negligence is made up of numerous elements, the first of which is duty. Radiologists and healthcare facilities owe patients a professional duty to interpret imaging studies with the skill, care, and diligence expected of reasonably competent radiologists under similar circumstances. This duty also includes accurate reporting and appropriate communication of findings to the treating providers responsible for patient care.
The second element is breach, which focuses on how the radiological care departed from accepted practice. This may involve failing to identify visible abnormalities, overlooking subtle but clinically significant findings, misclassifying suspicious lesions, or failing to recommend additional imaging or follow-up when warranted. Breach may also arise from inadequate reporting practices, such as ambiguous language that minimizes serious findings or failure to flag time-sensitive results. Unlike other malpractice cases that focus on hands-on treatment decisions, radiology cases often turn on whether the image was read with appropriate attention, methodology, and diagnostic rigor. Plaintiffs usually need to retain medical experts to review the images and explain how a competent radiologist would have identified or communicated the abnormality.
Establishing causation in cases involving a delayed diagnosis due to radiology malpractice requires showing that the diagnostic delay meaningfully altered the patient’s clinical course. This analysis often compares what actually happened with what would have occurred had the imaging been correctly interpreted or timely communicated. Expert testimony can show that earlier detection would have allowed for less invasive treatment, prevented disease progression, reduced complications, or improved survival odds.
The final element is damages. Patients harmed by radiology-related diagnostic delays may recover economic damages, including the costs of additional medical care, surgeries, hospitalization, chemotherapy or radiation, rehabilitation, future treatment, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity. Non-economic damages may also be awarded for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the psychological burden of advanced disease.
Consult a Knowledgeable Medical Malpractice Attorney in Syracuse, Rochester, or Upstate New YorkA delayed diagnosis due to radiology malpractice can reshape a patient’s life long before the error is ever discovered, leaving individuals to confront more aggressive disease, limited treatment options, and uncertain futures. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm because an imaging study was misread, overlooked, or improperly communicated, it is in your best interest to consult an attorney. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our knowledgeable Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys possess the skills and resources to establish medical negligence, and if you engage our services, we will pursue the full compensation available under the law. Our main office is in Syracuse, and we regularly represent patients and families throughout Syracuse, Rochester, and Upstate New York. You can contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation through our online form or by calling 833-200-2000.