There is a persistent myth in medicine — one that doctors and hospitals sometimes invoke in their defense — that medicine is an art, not a science. The suggestion is that outcomes are unpredictable, that mistakes are inevitable, and that holding physicians accountable for errors is somehow unfair given the complexity of what they do.
If you have been harmed by a physician’s failure to diagnose, treat, or refer you appropriately, you may have heard — or may anticipate hearing — a familiar argument: the doctor was practicing “defensive medicine.” The suggestion is that any physician would have done the same thing, that the test or treatment you needed was unnecessary or risky, and that the doctor’s choices represented reasonable clinical judgment rather than negligence.
Sepsis is not an unpredictable disease—it is a medical emergency with a well-established, time-sensitive treatment protocol. The federal government requires every hospital receiving Medicare reimbursement to follow the CMS SEP-1 bundle: a standardized sequence of blood cultures, serum lactate measurements, and broad-spectrum antibiotics that must be initiated within three hours of sepsis identification.
For nearly two decades, our firm has advocated for patient safety and proactive health management. As medical technology evolves, so do the standards of care. In 2026, we have more tools than ever to make cervical cancer a “preventable” disease. If you or a loved one has suffered due to a misdiagnosis or a failure to follow these current protocols, understanding these nine steps is the first step toward justice and health.
What should have been a routine evaluation for a woman in Armstrong County turned into a harrowing battle for survival due to a series of avoidable medical oversights. In November 2021, Patricia, a 59-year-old woman, sought medical help for post-menopausal bleeding—a classic “red flag” symptom that every gynecologist knows requires immediate investigation for endometrial cancer.
While it is true that the risk of stroke increases with age, strokes in young adults, teenagers, and even children are rising. Currently, 10% to 15% of all strokes occur in people between the ages of 18 and 50. Despite this, Emergency Rooms frequently operate on an “age bias.” When a 70-year-old walks in with slurred speech, the stroke team is activated immediately. When a 25-year-old or a child presents with the exact same symptoms, doctors often look for “more likely” explanations like intoxication, migraines, or vertigo.
One day, your mother is her normal self—doing crossword puzzles, chatting on the phone, and managing her own medications. The next day, you visit and she is a different person. She doesn’t know what year it is. She is talking to people who aren’t there. She is agitated, aggressive, or unusually lethargic. Your mind immediately races to the worst-case scenarios: Is this a stroke? Is this sudden onset dementia? Alzheimer’s?
If your son woke up in severe pain or complained of sudden agony after sports practice, you likely rushed him to the Emergency Room expecting immediate answers. You trusted the doctors to rule out the most dangerous conditions first. However, far too many parents are sent home with a diagnosis of a “groin strain,” “epididymitis,” or a vague viral infection, only to return hours or days later to find that their son has lost a testicle permanently.
It often starts with something minor: a scrape from a fall, a small cut while gardening, a surgical incision, or even a bug bite. You clean it, bandage it, and expect it to heal. Within hours, the situation changes. The area becomes swollen and hot. A red rash begins to spread visibly across the skin. Most terrifyingly, the pain is agonizing—far worse than you would expect from such a small injury.
It often happens without warning. One moment you are lifting weights, straining during a bowel movement, or simply sitting at work. The next, you are struck by a headache of terrifying intensity. Patients often describe it as being hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat.
The scenario is terrifyingly common: You or a loved one experience a sudden, splitting headache. Maybe your vision blurs, or you feel dizzy. You rush to the Emergency Room, terrified something is wrong with your brain. But because you are young—perhaps in your 30s or 40s—or because you have a history of headaches, the doctor is quick to reassure you.
A misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis becomes malpractice if the delay caused the patient’s condition to worsen significantly, resulting in a more difficult treatment, permanent injury, or a lower chance of survival. This is legally known as the “Loss of Chance” doctrine. If the delay turned a treatable Stage I condition into a terminal Stage IV crisis, the doctor is liable for the harm caused by that lost time.
