Most forms of cancer are treatable when identified in the early stages. Unfortunately, a misdiagnosis can be the difference between life and death for some patients. Proper diagnosis depends on healthcare professionals ruling out other serious conditions and determining what symptoms mean.
If you or someone you love was misdiagnosed or not diagnosed because a doctor did not follow the applicable standard of care, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim for compensation. Our Walterboro cancer misdiagnosis lawyers are here to advocate for your rights.
Medical Malpractice and Cancer Misdiagnosis
When someone develops cancer-like symptoms and visits their doctor, they expect they can trust their doctor’s insights and advice. When doctors fail to order the appropriate tests or recognize clear signs, a cancer misdiagnosis can let the disease spread. By the time the cancer is identified, it could be too late to save the patient’s life. A doctor could make the wrong diagnosis by:
- Identifying the wrong type of cancer
- Failing to make any diagnosis
- Reporting a false-positive cancer diagnosis
Negligence in the healthcare setting means that a medical professional did not provide their patient with an appropriate standard of care, which can be difficult to prove without an experienced attorney. If a doctor misdiagnosed your cancer, leading to your condition worsening, you should consider speaking to a Walterboro lawyer.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Types of Cancer
It is possible for a doctor to incorrectly diagnose any form of cancer, but our Walterboro attorneys have seen misdiagnosis occur more often with certain types. Some examples include:
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Colon cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Melanoma cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
With these types of cancer, testing is not always accurate. Moreover, symptoms can mimic other serious illnesses. Be sure to ask a doctor to run multiple screenings if you suspect you have developed cancer. The doctor’s failure to thoroughly investigate a patient’s symptoms could fall below their standard of care.
Recovering Damages After a Cancer Misdiagnosis
In successful medical malpractice cases, misdiagnosed patients could recover the cost of their medical care, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and other losses. Family members of someone who died due to a medical professional’s failure to promptly diagnose cancer can recover compensation through a wrongful death action.
However, in South Carolina, medical malpractice damages for noneconomic losses are capped at around $500,000 for a case against a single care provider or institution. When there are multiple defendants, the noneconomic damages cannot exceed $1,500,000. A Walterboro attorney could work to maximize the amount of compensation someone receives after a cancer misdiagnosis, ensuring they have the financial stability to address their current and future needs.
Contact a Walterboro Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney Today
Proving that a doctor or other healthcare professional’s actions fell below the applicable standard of care can be complicated, and you deserve support from an attorney you can trust. If your cancer was misdiagnosed by a negligent medical professional, our legal professionals could work with you to build the strongest possible case.
Cancer misdiagnosis cases often turn on expert testimony. A Walterboro cancer misdiagnosis lawyer could help secure expert testimonies and gather all available evidence to support your case. If you have questions about your legal rights, give us a call.
