Louisville Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney

When cancer is diagnosed in a timely manner, the outlook can be quite optimistic. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can provide a cancer patient with hope for the future. However, when a doctor misdiagnoses cancer as something else or a patient is given a delayed diagnosis, the illness may be more difficult to treat and the likelihood of beating the cancer significantly decreases.

The attorneys at Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, understand the anger and confusion you or your loved one may be experiencing because of a cancer misdiagnosis. Since 1986, our Louisville medical malpractice lawyers have helped individuals and families who have had to face the challenges of a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer, including:

• Breast cancer
• Skin cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colon cancer
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pancreatic cancer

What Mistakes Lead to Cancer Misdiagnosis?

Depending on your age and lifestyle choices, doctors should routinely screen for the presence of cancer or cancer symptoms. A doctor may be guilty of malpractice if they fail to perform this routine testing or at least advise their patient of the potential risk for cancer. However, even if a patient receives the necessary tests, they are still as risk of cancer misdiagnosis.

Common mistakes that can be made in the doctor’s office and at lab testing facilities include:

• Misread PAP smear
• Misread mammogram
• Misread CT scan
• Misread MRI
• Misread chest x-ray
• Not following up on a specific complaint or dismissing symptoms

The team of Louisville cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC are highly adept at uncovering these mistakes and others that may have lead to your cancer misdiagnosis.

Benefits of Early Cancer Detection

For many forms of cancer, early detection gives patients a better chance at beating the disease and long term survival. Detecting cancer early can significantly improve a patient’s survival and quality of life. The American Cancer Society reports that early detection reduces the deaths from cancers of the breast, colon and rectum, cervix, prostate, and lung. They also provide guidelines for early detection screenings to catch cancer early and start early treatment to achieve long term patient survival. Regardless of these deadlines, a patient’s medical history may dictate a different detection schedule and your doctor should be able to recognize signs and symptoms that indicate the need for further testing.

How Dangerous is Cancer Misdiagnosis?

Some sources estimate that as many as a quarter of all medical malpractice claims are the result of misdiagnosis or the failure to diagnose a condition, particularly various types of cancer. The problem with misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a cancer is that time is often of the essence when it comes to treatment options. If caught early, many types of cancers have a high survivability rate. If a diagnosis is delayed, however, many of those same cancers could prove fatal.

Consider, for example, certain types of thyroid cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, this is the most rapidly increasing type of cancer in the country, with more than 62,000 new cases estimated for 2015. If it is detected soon enough, the thyroid gland can be removed, a patient can undergo minimal radiation or chemotherapy treatment and can go on to live a healthy life. If it is not diagnosed promptly, however, cancer in the thyroid could spread throughout the body, proving fatal in a relatively short period of time. If medical negligence and failure to diagnose cancer caused a loved ones death, seek legal representation from a skilled wrongful death lawyer in Louisville for help fighting for justice.

Negligence in Failure to Diagnose Cancer Cases

If a doctor fails to timely diagnose cancer, they may be held liable for medical negligence if their failure to diagnose cancer was the result of negligent care. That is, if their actions failed to meet the standard of care required from a doctor with similar qualifications acting under similar circumstances; the failure to meet the standard of care caused the patient’s injury; and the patient suffered actual damages.

A patient making a claim based on medical negligence must prove all the elements of their claim, otherwise the claim will fail. Medical negligence cases can be very complex and require the participation of medical experts who specialize in the particular area of medicine. At Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, we have the resources to investigate your case and gather compelling evidence to support your claim.

Getting the Evidence You Need to Make a Claim in Louisville, KY

It may surprise you to find out that some doctors tamper with your medical records and fabricate records to avoid liability. Unfortunately, it happens. Some doctors will delay giving you access to your medical records in order to frustrate your attempts to get justice. This is when you need an experienced team like Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC by your side. Our Louisville cancer misdiagnosis lawyers will work tirelessly and use every legal process available to get access to your medical records and other valuable evidence needed for your case.

Comparative Negligence in Kentucky Failure to Diagnose Cancer Cases

A person’s health care outcomes depend in part on the care they receive from their healthcare providers, and their compliance with medical advice. A doctor who is facing a failure to diagnose cancer claim may defend themselves by blaming the patient for failing to raise health concerns with their doctor, failing to keep scheduled follow up appointments, or doing other things against medical advice. Do not let this stop you from pursuing a claim. You may still be able to recover compensation for damages. 

Kentucky follows the comparative negligence rule, which means that you may still be able to recover damages from another person who is found partly responsible for your injury. The compensation you are entitled to will be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to you. It is best to speak with an experienced lawyer before making any assumptions about the strength of your case. At Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC, we have in-house medical staff who assist our attorneys in investigating and preparing cases. We will fight very hard to protect your interests.

Discuss Your Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim with Our Louisville Attorneys

If you or someone you care about would like to speak with an experienced Louisville medical malpractice lawyer about your doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer, please contact our Louisville injury law firm. We have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for injured and ill clients. Our success is rooted in the way we approach each client and their concerns. Our team of personal injury attorneys in Louisville only represent a small number of clients at any one time so each client receives personalized attention. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation or call 502-244-7772 to speak to an attorney at our law firm.