Can I sue my doctor for misdiagnosis or malpractice?

Last year I injured my neck severely and went to the ER, who referred me to this Orthopedic. My pain and symptoms were quite severe, and implied neurological problems such as shooting arm pain. I begged for an MRI and this "doctor" said I was over reacting, and that I only had a sprained neck. He gave me X-rays but not an MRI, even when I asked. He said the sprained neck can take a few weeks to a few months to heal. How can you properly diagnose a neck injury without an MRI to rule out nerve damage? Well I went back to my daily life and lived and worked with pain, because I was under the umption I had a "sprained neck" and it could take "a few months" to heal. Anyways my pain never went away and just got worst and worst, until I went to see a Neurosurgeon last month who gave me an MRI. I had 3 herniated discs, one was so bad it was compressing 60% of my spinal cord. I had to get immediatee surgery, and I am now out of work on disability. My numbness in my hand is now permanent because I waited so long to treat it, and my neck pain is possibly permanent also. I might not be able to work anymore and I'm only 24. I also live on narcotic pain meds now. Can I sue this doctor I saw last year?