In spite of the large number of patients with diabetes (over 37 million in the U.S. alone), this disorder is frequently misdiagnosed, leading to improper treatment and dangerous consequences. If your diabetes has been misdiagnosed by a negligent healthcare provider and you have suffered serious harm as a result, you may well be a victim of medical malpractice. If you live in New Jersey, now is the time to contact one of the powerful attorneys at Nagel Rice LLP.

Our legal team is well-positioned to give you the best chance of recovering the meaningful compensation you deserve. We are knowledgeable, highly skilled, and have an impressive 40-year track record of successful outcomes. Over the past decades, our lawyers have won over $1 billion in damages for our deserving clients. More than that, we have a reputation for empathy and integrity. You can count on us to make your cause our own.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s metabolic process. In patients with diabetes, the level of sugar in the blood rises because the pancreas either fails to produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or fails to use the insulin produced efficiently (type 2 diabetes).

Patients with type 1 diabetes have to take insulin daily in order to survive. Patients with type 2 diabetes can most often keep the condition under control by making healthy lifestyle changes, though some may have to take medication as well. In addition to diabetes being mistaken for other medical problems, as many as 25 to 30 percent percent of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes actually have type 1 diabetes, a significantly more serious form of the disease.

Why Diabetes Is Frequently Misdiagnosed

Diabetes shares symptoms with a great many other disorders, so doctors must be alert and careful to avoid misdiagnosis. They must not be swayed by stereotypes of diabetic patients. Studies have shown that diabetic misdiagnoses are most commonly made in people over the age of 25 and who are Black, Hispanic, and/or Indigenous.

In many cases, medical professionals are more likely to suspect diabetes in patients who belong to certain ethnic or economic groups, have poor eating habits, or experience weight fluctuations.

In reality, the only way to make an accurate diagnosis is to administer a fasting blood glucose test.

The symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar, but there is a difference in both the severity of the symptoms and the way they present. Type 1 diabetes symptoms usually show up suddenly and alarmingly, whereas type 2 symptoms tend to develop gradually over time.

Of course, a misdiagnosis of diabetes can also occur because of a faulty laboratory test, poor recording, or misinterpretation of data. In any case, our attorneys will identify and target the individual or entity that caused you harm.

Symptoms of Diabetes May Be Confused With Symptoms of Other Conditions

As you look at the following list of diabetes symptoms, you will realize that they are common to many other health problems which is why it is essential for extra care to be taken during diagnosis:

• Unintended weight loss
• Frequent urination/bed-wetting
• Extreme thirst and/or hunger
• Weakness and fatigue
• Pins and needles sensation, especially in the extremities
• Areas of darkened skin, especially on the neck or in the armpits
• Frequent UTIs and/or yeast infections
• Slow healing of skin infections
• Blurry visions episodically
• Mood swings
• Itchy skin

With such symptoms, diabetes of either type may be (and has been) mistaken for:

• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Eating disorders (e.g. anorexia or bulimia)
• Anxiety or depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Alcoholism
• Hypoglycemia
• Lyme disease
• Pancreatitis
• Pericarditis
• Effects of chemotherapy
• Vitamin B deficiency
• Mononucleosis and other viral infections

This list is far from exhaustive and doctors who are not thinking clearly enough or fail to follow standard protocol by administering a blood test for diabetes antibodies are liable to make a mistake that has serious, even life-altering consequences. If you, or a member of your family, has had their diabetes misdiagnosed by a negligent doctor, the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Nagel Rice are here to help.

Services Our Diabetes Misdiagnosis Attorneys Provide

The lawyers of Nagel Rice are good listeners. We realize that we must have an understanding of the details of your case in order to create a winning legal strategy. In addition, we will:

• Handle all communications with opposing attorneys and insurance adjusters
• Examine all pertinent medical data
• Identify and interview witnesses
• Check the defendant’s history for any previous accusations of negligence
• Consult with experts in relevant fields who may testify on your behalf

In most cases, we are able to recover damages through an out-of-court settlement, but we are always ready for aggressive litigation if it is necessary to bring you maximum compensation.

Frightening Possible Consequences of a Misdiagnosis of Diabetes

If your diabetes was misdiagnosed and your treatment for the disorder was therefore delayed or omitted, there may have been severe repercussions, such as:

• Diabetic ketoacidosis that can lead to coma or death
• Heart attack or stroke
• Kidney disease or kidney failure
• Nerve damage or peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
• Permanent blurred vision or blindness due to diabetic retinopathy
• Amputations due to undetected sores that became gangrenous
• Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)
• Osteoporosis resulting in fractures
• Miscarriage or stillbirth if glucose levels were not managed during pregnancy

As you can see, a misdiagnosis of diabetes can be disastrous. That’s why you need the tough legal representation our team of malpractice attorneys can provide.

Damages We Will Fight For

If your doctor’s negligent misdiagnosis resulted in any of the above or in some other terrible consequence, you are entitled to:

• Economic damages to reimburse you for out-of-pocket expenses, like medical and rehabilitative care, lost income, and long-term nursing care.
• Non-economic damages to cover intangibles, such as pain and suffering, emotional anguish, permanent disability or deformity, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Our goal is to recover the resources you need to assist you in recovery and secure your future. If you have lost a loved one to wrongful death, we will fight vigorously to bring you the funds you are entitled to for final medical expenses, funeral and burial/cremation costs, and financial and emotional support.

Contact Our Diabetes Misdiagnosis Attorneys Now

Diabetes is hard enough to manage when properly diagnosed. Having a doctor, lab technician or other healthcare provider misdiagnose your illness and cause you more pain is unacceptable. Contact us now so we can see that justice is done.