Were you or a loved one harmed because a healthcare provider failed to diagnose cancer, diagnosed it too late, or incorrectly diagnosed you with cancer? You may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. Contact The Moses Firm: Medical Malpractice Lawyers today at (404) 721-1050 for a free consultation with an experienced Atlanta cancer misdiagnosis lawyer.
Our attorneys have 50 years of combined experience and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients. We can investigate what went wrong and pursue compensation for the harm caused by medical negligence.
How The Moses Firm: Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help With a Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim in Atlanta, GA
Cancer misdiagnosis cases often require a detailed review of medical records, testing, and treatment decisions. Medical experts may also be necessary to determine whether a healthcare provider failed to meet the appropriate standard of care.
When you hire our Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers, we can:
- Investigate the circumstances surrounding your diagnosis
- Obtain and review your medical records
- Consult qualified medical experts
- Determine who may be responsible
- Evaluate how the diagnostic error affected your treatment and prognosis
- Calculate your current and future damages
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Prepare your case for trial when necessary
Our legal team can handle your claim while you focus on your health and family. Contact us today for a free case review with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.
What Is Cancer Misdiagnosis?
Cancer misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider incorrectly identifies, overlooks, or unreasonably delays identifying a patient’s cancer.
Not every incorrect diagnosis is medical malpractice. Generally, a claim requires evidence that a healthcare provider failed to meet the applicable standard of care and that the failure caused the patient harm.
Examples of cancer diagnostic errors include:
- Failing to diagnose cancer
- Delaying a cancer diagnosis
- Diagnosing the wrong type of cancer
- Incorrectly determining the stage of cancer
- Diagnosing cancer when the patient does not have it
- Misinterpreting imaging, biopsy, or laboratory results
The consequences can depend on the type of cancer, how quickly it progresses, and how long the diagnostic error continues.
What Causes Cancer Misdiagnosis?
A cancer diagnosis can involve multiple providers and several types of testing. Preventable mistakes can occur at various stages of the process.
Common causes may include:
- Failure to recognize cancer symptoms
- Failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests
- Misreading imaging results
- Errors involving biopsies or pathology samples
- Failure to follow up on abnormal results
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist
- Laboratory errors
- Communication failures between providers
Determining why the error occurred is essential to establishing whether medical negligence caused the patient’s injuries.
How Can a Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Harm a Patient?
Early detection can significantly affect treatment options for many cancers. When a diagnosis is unnecessarily delayed, the disease may progress before treatment begins.
A delay could result in:
- Cancer progressing to a more advanced stage
- Fewer treatment options
- More aggressive treatment
- Additional surgery
- Increased medical expenses
- Greater pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Reduced likelihood of successful treatment
- Premature death
Medical experts may help determine whether an earlier diagnosis would have changed the patient’s treatment, prognosis, or outcome.
What If I Was Incorrectly Diagnosed With Cancer?
Medical malpractice can also occur when someone is diagnosed with cancer they do not have. A false diagnosis could expose a patient to unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment.
An incorrect cancer diagnosis could result in unnecessary surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, medication side effects, lost income, medical expenses, physical pain, and emotional distress.
Whether a false diagnosis constitutes malpractice depends on how the mistake happened and whether the healthcare provider complied with the appropriate standard of care.
Who Can Be Liable for a Cancer Misdiagnosis in Atlanta?
Because a cancer diagnosis may involve several medical professionals, more than one party could potentially be responsible.
Potentially liable parties include:
- Primary care physicians
- Oncologists
- Radiologists
- Pathologists
- Surgeons
- Laboratories
- Hospitals
- Medical practices
- Diagnostic facilities
Our attorneys can investigate your medical care and identify the parties who may be responsible for the diagnostic error.
What Kinds of Compensation Can Cancer Misdiagnosis Victims Recover?
If medical negligence caused you harm, you may be entitled to compensation for your resulting losses.
Potential damages include:
- Economic damages: Medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity.
- Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Wrongful death damages: Certain surviving family members may have a claim when a diagnostic error contributes to a patient’s death.
The value of a cancer misdiagnosis claim depends on the circumstances, including the length of the delay, additional treatment required, and the patient’s prognosis.
How Long Do I Have to File a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawsuit in Georgia?
Georgia generally requires a medical malpractice action to be filed within two years after the date on which an injury or death arising from a negligent or wrongful act or omission occurred. Georgia also generally has a five-year statute of repose for medical malpractice claims.
Exceptions can affect these deadlines, and cancer misdiagnosis cases may involve complicated timing issues. Speaking with an attorney promptly can help protect your right to pursue compensation.
Contact an Atlanta Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one suffered harm because cancer was missed, diagnosed too late, or incorrectly diagnosed, The Moses Firm: Medical Malpractice Lawyers can help. With 50 years of combined experience and hundreds of millions of dollars recovered, our legal team has the experience and resources to handle complex medical malpractice cases.
Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Atlanta cancer misdiagnosis attorney.