As a general rule, people place their trust in the healthcare system and the doctors that commit to providing them with the best standard of care. Unfortunately, a patient’s trust is often betrayed by medical professionals. According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, it’s estimated that more than 20% of all patients are misdiagnosed, and 66% walked away from a second opinion with critical changes to their diagnosis.
In short, getting a diagnosis wrong is fairly common among doctors, and the consequences can be devastating for those who are suffering from the effects of thyroid cancer and throat cancer. A failure to diagnose thyroid cancer can cause you to receive incorrect treatment, or none at all until it’s too late.
Have you been robbed of precious time and opportunity to maximize your chances of recovery from cancer or any other disease? If so, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim against the oncologist, healthcare facility, and other entities that failed in their duty of are.
The medical malpractice lawyers of Normandie have a proven track record of recovery for those who suffered due to negligence by a medical professional. We are more than ready to fight for you and the compensation you deserve, so please schedule a free case review at your earliest convenience.
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Diagnostic Error by an Oncologist
The truth is, doctors can make mistakes, just like anyone else. And even oncologists and surgeons (surgical oncologists) can make errors from time to time, no matter how much experience they have. That’s why there is a standard from the National Academies of Medicine when it comes to diagnostic errors, which care defined as:
“the failure to (a) establish an accurate and timely explanation of the patient’s health problem(s) or (b) communicate that explanation to the patient.”
According to a study by the organization, misdiagnosis and negligence that results in delayed diagnosis of cancer may be caused by numerous factors, such as:
- Lack of communication and collaboration between patients, doctors, and the patients’ families
- Inadequate support during the diagnostic process
- Insufficient feedback concerning the diagnostic performance
- Working in a culture where being transparent and accounting for diagnostic errors are discouraged, thereby impairing the clinician’s ability to learn and growing from their mistake
When a disease like throat or thyroid cancer is not diagnosed properly, the condition will continue to get worse until little to nothing can be done to heal the patient and prolong their life. In some cases, the doctor makes a wrong diagnosis, and so the resulting treatment does not help the patient at all. Thus, the patient needlessly suffers while the disease progresses and ultimately shortens their life.
Delayed Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer
A doctor’s error can have fatal consequences for a patient, or cause the development of severe and permanent health conditions. One of the most critical errors among oncologists is delayed diagnosis, which happens more often than most people realize. Reasons for a delayed cancer diagnosis include:
- Misreading X-rays
- Not referring the patient to a specialist
- Failure to order the right diagnostic tests
- Incorrectly interpreting medical charts or test results
- Misplacing paperwork
- Poor coordination of patient care services
- Lack of or inadequate communication between clinics / doctors
Filing a Claim for Cancer Misdiagnosis
It its early stages, patients may have no symptoms that alert them to the possibility of cancer. And there are cases where the cancer is difficult to detect, even with diagnostic tests like CAT scans, X-rays, MRIs, mammograms and biopsies.
As they decide on which tests to order, oncologists must consider the potential benefits to the patient and weigh them against the risks that are involved. For example, is it worth putting the patient at risk of radiation exposure or surgery when you weigh them against the possible benefits?
At the end of the day, there are a lot of factors that doctors must examine in order to make a sound and professional decision on how to treat a patient. If a doctor failed to take certain measures and the cancer goes undiagnosed, it will become much difficult to treat. In these instances, a doctor may be liable for the patient’s condition and face the possibility of a medical malpractice lawsuit.
The oncologist negligence lawyers of Normandie are experienced in lawsuits for missed or wrongful diagnosis for all types of cancer, including:
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Throat cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Leukemia
- Cervical cancer
- Sarcoma
- Skin cancer
- Lymphoma
Am I Eligible for a Throat or Thyroid Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim?
Diagnostic errors by doctors are responsible for a staggering number of deaths, and many of these cases involve failure to diagnose lung and throat cancer.
As someone who received a delayed or false diagnosis of cancer, you may have grounds to sue for monetary damages, such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Below are some of the circumstances that can be used as a basis for a cancer misdiagnosis malpractice claim:
- A doctor or cancer specialist made an incorrect diagnosis
- You went regularly for checkups, but your cancer went undiagnosed.
- Your oncologist discounted, ignored, or misinterpreted the symptoms you clearly described to them
- The care you received was delayed or not effective because of the delay in diagnosis
- Your doctor misinterpreted findings from diagnostic tests.
How Long Do I have to Sue for a Failure to Properly Diagnose Cancer?
Medical malpractice lawsuits in the state of California have a deadline of 1 year, starting from the date of discovering that you were misdiagnosed. However, some claimants have up to 3 years to file a lawsuit, so make sure to consult a medical malpractice lawyer based in California to verify the amount of time you have for a thyroid cancer misdiagnosis claim
Hire a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer for $0
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is devastating on its own, but it’s even worse when you find out that the cancer has progressed due to negligence by your treating physician. Our goal is to build a strong and solid case, help you file a claim within the statutory deadline and fight to recover the funds you are owed.
At no point will you be asked to pay out of pocket, since we accept all cases on contingency. We get paid only upon the recovery of your settlement or jury verdict awarding you compensation. What happens if we don’t win your case? You are not responsible for any legal fees, as we protect all clients with the Zero Fee Guarantee.
To learn more about the process of filing a failure to diagnose thyroid cancer lawsuit, reach out today and speak with a California medical malpractice lawyer.
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