Medical Lab Errors in Oklahoma City
When a Lab Mistake Becomes a Life-Changing Catastrophe
A single test result can make the difference between life and death. In today’s healthcare system, doctors rely heavily on lab work to diagnose illnesses, determine treatment plans, and monitor life-threatening conditions. But what happens when those lab results are wrong—or never make it to the right person?
At Van Wey, Metzler & Williams, we represent patients in Oklahoma City who have suffered devastating outcomes due to medical laboratory errors. These are not harmless paperwork mistakes. These are failures that allow dangerous conditions to go undiagnosed, untreated, or mismanaged—often with permanent consequences.
The Invisible Danger Inside Hospitals and Clinics
When most people think about medical malpractice, they picture a doctor making a mistake in the operating room or at the bedside. But the truth is, many of the most damaging medical errors happen behind the scenes—in labs, testing facilities, and pathology departments.
You never meet the people handling your blood sample, analyzing your biopsy, or logging your results into a system. But your life depends on them getting it right.
Unfortunately, they don’t always do that.
In Oklahoma and across the country, thousands of patients suffer harm every year due to preventable lab errors. Most never know the truth. The harm is chalked up to a "delay in treatment," or worse, blamed on the patient.
That’s not just misleading—it’s unacceptable.
Common Types of Lab Malpractice
We have handled complex, high-stakes cases involving a wide range of lab-related failures. The most common and most devastating include:
Mislabeling or Switched Samples
When two patients’ test samples are confused, one may be told they’re fine when they’re gravely ill—while another undergoes unnecessary, sometimes dangerous treatment for a disease they don’t have.
Pathology Misreads
Cancer that is missed under a microscope. A biopsy result misinterpreted. A tumor classified as benign when it is malignant. Pathologists must interpret tissue samples with precision—when they fail, patients lose time they can’t afford.
Lost or Unreported Critical Results
Hospitals and labs are required to report life-threatening lab results immediately. A delay of even a few hours in reporting abnormal potassium levels, white blood cell counts, or infection markers can lead to sepsis, cardiac arrest, or brain injury.
Software & Data Entry Errors
In an age of digital medicine, a simple keystroke error or system glitch can result in the wrong file being updated, the wrong doctor receiving results—or no one receiving them at all.
Failure to Follow Up
Even if the lab performs the test correctly, failure to notify the ordering physician or ensure the results are reviewed can leave patients untreated and deteriorating, sometimes fatally.
These are not rare errors. They are systemic failures—and they are happening every day.
The Devastating Outcomes of a Lab Error
Patients harmed by lab mistakes may suffer:
Advanced-stage cancer that could have been treated earlier
Sepsis and organ failure due to undiagnosed infection
Unnecessary surgeries based on someone else’s test results
Wrongful death after delayed or missed critical lab findings
Loss of fertility or reproductive organs due to misdiagnosed conditions
Permanent neurological injury after untreated metabolic imbalance
In every case, the tragedy is compounded by the fact that the injury didn’t have to happen. Had the correct information been delivered, read, and acted upon, the outcome could have been entirely different.
Why These Cases Are Hard to Uncover—And Why We Don’t Stop Until We Do
Medical lab error cases are some of the most complex in medical malpractice litigation. Hospitals often blame the ordering physician, the lab tech, the nurse, or the software—anyone but themselves.
We’re used to that. And we know how to fight back.
At Van Wey, Metzler & Williams, we:
Work with medical experts in laboratory science, pathology, and diagnostics
Reconstruct the chain of custody, communication, and reporting from start to finish
Demand internal policies and logs to uncover what actually happened
Identify the precise moment the system failed—and who should have stopped it
Our investigative process is thorough, relentless, and precise. We’ve built our reputation on revealing the truth that others try to bury.
When the Truth Is Buried in the Records, We Bring It to Light
After a catastrophic outcome, hospitals rarely tell families there was a lab mistake. You may hear:
“We’re not sure what happened.”
“Sometimes these things progress quickly.”
“It’s just one of those cases where we couldn’t have known.”
But when you dig deeper, it turns out the tumor was visible a year ago. The white count was sky-high last week. The blood type was wrong on the order. And no one followed up.
If you suspect something was missed or mishandled, trust your instincts. We are here to investigate with the seriousness and expertise your situation deserves.
Why Oklahoma Families Choose Us
We do not handle fender benders or minor injury cases. We devote our practice to representing those who have suffered the most severe, life-altering harm due to medical negligence. Our clients choose us because:
We limit our caseload to provide intense focus on every case
We collaborate with the top experts in the country
We treat clients like family, not file numbers
We fight not just for compensation—but for reform
Founder Kay Van Wey is a nationally recognized leader in medical malpractice advocacy. Her work has exposed dangerous doctors, failed systems, and institutional neglect. And it has changed lives.
Your Case Matters. Your Story Deserves to Be Heard.
If you or a loved one has experienced severe harm and you suspect a lab error may be the cause, don’t accept “we did everything we could” as the final word. Let us find out if that’s really true.
You don’t pay us anything unless we win. And your consultation is confidential, respectful, and pressure-free.
