I had symptoms of a retinal tear and was told there was nothing wrong a week later my retina detached now had to have surgery

Flashing lights are not a symptom you would associate with a retinal detachment, it is a symptom of vitreous detachment. A dark spot in your field of vision could be a sign of a retinal detachment, or it could be a floater caused by vitreous detachment. If the area where you lost vision was static and it did not move, it is possible that your ophthalmologist failed to diagnose a retinal detachment. To know for sure, a lawyer would have to get the medical records and review them.  A different but relevant question is what damages were caused by a delay in diagnosis. If the dark spot in your vision was caused by a retinal detachment, I don’t see how you could have avoided a surgery to fix it (contrary to the representations of the surgeon). If the surgeon told you that because he thinks that you were suffering from a retinal tear that could have been fixed, that may or may not be correct because prophylactic cryopexy to prevent a retinal detachment works over time, but initially actually can increase the risk of retinal detachment until the treatment has an opportunity to set. If you suffer from permanent problems as a result of the delay in diagnosis, and you want to investigate a medical malpractice case, you should contact a local medical malpractice attorney (one in your state).  They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed.  Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys.  Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well. Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. Click here for an article that explains what you can expect when filing a medical malpractice case. Click here and here for more information about me.