Getting a diagnosis of a life-threatening or terminal disease is probably one of the most devastating and frightening experiences anyone can have. But when you get the diagnosis and later find out it was incorrect, you will, most likely, immediately be relieved, but then anger will set in. Just think how traumatic it would be to be told by a medical professional that you had a disease as serious as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)and then later find out it was all a mistake. ALS is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
That is exactly what happened to at least 1,200 Gulf War vets from across the country when they were erroneously notified by the Veterans Administration that they suffer from the fatal disease. The letters, dated August 12, 2009, also informed the vets of the disability compensation benefits to which they would be entitled.
According to National Gulf War Resources Center Vice President, Denise Nichols, the VA is blaming a computer coding error for this horrific mistake.
Needless to say, many vets already suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) due to the horrifying sites and experiences they encountered in battle. Being given a death sentence that proves to be a mistake just may be even more damaging mental torture. Medical misdiagnosis is actually a very common form of medical malpractice.
If you or your loved one is a veteran of the armed services and has been hurt by medical malpractice, please contact a military medical practice attorney today to schedule a confidential, no-cost consultation.
