Cancer diagnoses are devastating for everyone involved. Most patients and families immediately begin searching for the most effective treatments and care plans. With aggressive and early treatments, many patients fight the disease. Unfortunately, patients cannot take advantage of potentially life-saving treatments when they do not receive a timely diagnosis.
When a physician’s late or missed diagnosis causes you or a loved one to suffer serious complications, you deserve justice. A New Haven cancer misdiagnosis lawyer can help. Our compassionate medical malpractice attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna are ready to review your case, explain your rights, and help you pursue the compensation you need.
Many times, medical providers are overworked, tired, and stressed, causing them to make careless mistakes. They might try to see too many patients each day, resulting in less time getting to know their patients and listening to their symptoms. They might rush through their review of a test result, failing to see clear signs of problems.
Some of the most common medical errors leading to delayed or missed cancer diagnoses include:
Not every medical mistake is an example of legally actionable negligence. However, medical professionals who fail to act as a similarly trained provider would under the same circumstances can be held accountable for medical malpractice. A skilled New Haven lawyer can review a patient’s medical charts with medical experts to determine whether the medical error amounts to a viable cancer misdiagnosis.
Early detection can often make all the difference in cancer cases. Cancer is a disease that spreads rapidly. When a doctor diagnoses cancer early on in its beginning stages, the patient has the greatest chance of making a full recovery. They can receive targeted treatment focusing on the precise area of the cancer. For instance, a patient with stage 1 lung cancer could receive surgery where a physician removes the tumor. If the patient receives a delayed diagnosis, the cancer can grow, worsen, and even spread throughout the body. They might also need to undergo painful chemotherapy and radiation to try to shrink the tumors. In the worst-case scenario, advanced cancer will not respond to any treatment.
Anyone who suspects that their doctor did not take reasonable steps to diagnose their cancer should get in touch with a legal professional right away. An experienced New Haven cancer misdiagnosis attorney knows what to look for in these cases and can determine whether the provider was negligent in their care.
Physicians receive extensive training on cancer in medical school and residency. They know to look out for certain symptoms and signs of cancer and should know which tests to order to confirm their suspicions. When physicians and other healthcare providers fail to identify common signs of cancer, they are negligent because they fail to uphold their profession’s reasonable standard of care. If you or a loved one suffered harm because of the misdiagnosis, you might be able to pursue a malpractice claim.
Contact a New Haven cancer misdiagnosis lawyer at our office today to go over your case. We are happy to answer your questions and go over your options during a free case consultation.
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