Settlements of Cancer Misdiagnosis Cases
Diagnosing an illness on time is crucial for several reasons. The sooner a medical condition is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin. Early treatment can reduce the time it takes for someone to recover. It can improve prognosis. Sometimes, a timely diagnosis can save a person’s life. Cancer is one of the top medical conditions that can benefit significantly from early detection. Early diagnosis of cancer can significantly improve treatment outcomes and survival rates. Unfortunately, sometimes cancer is misdiagnosed. Cancer misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider classifies a patient’s cancer as another illness or fails to diagnose cancer promptly. When a doctor fails to properly diagnose cancer in a timely manner, it can result in delayed treatment, inappropriate or ineffective treatment, unnecessary procedures, unnecessary suffering, and even death. When cancer misdiagnosis rises to the level of medical malpractice, the victim or their loved ones may be entitled to compensation through a medical malpractice claim. In this article, we discuss the instances when cancer misdiagnosis can rise to the level of medical malpractice and the compensation amounts for cancer misdiagnosis cases.
When Cancer Misdiagnosis Is Considered Medical Malpractice
Not all cases of cancer misdiagnosis are considered medical malpractice. For cancer misdiagnosis to be regarded as medical malpractice, the medical professional must have been negligent. In other words, they must have deviated from the accepted standard of care and acted differently from how another medical professional with the same training and experience and in the same or similar situation would have acted.
Medical malpractice can lead to cancer misdiagnosis in several ways, including the following:
- Misinterpretation of diagnostic tests
- Failure to order appropriate tests
- Overlooking symptoms
- Not taking a thorough look at a patient’s medical history
- Failure to follow up on abnormal tests
- Failure to communicate the results of abnormal tests
A cancer misdiagnosis can not only cause physical harm or death, but it can also place an overwhelming financial burden on patients and their families. Cancer misdiagnosis can result in substantial medical expenses, lost wages, and other expenses and losses that can add up quickly. When a medical professional deviates from the accepted standard of care, they may be held liable for any resulting harm and damages.
What Is a Typical Settlement for Cancer Misdiagnosis?
The truth is that there is no average settlement amount for cancer misdiagnosis. Settlement amounts vary from case to case. The value of a cancer misdiagnosis case depends on the specific factors surrounding the case. However, claimants often recover several hundred thousand to over a million dollars.
The following are some of the factors that can impact the value of your cancer misdiagnosis case:
- Type and stage of cancer: For instance, a misdiagnosis that causes the cancer to advance to stage 3 or 4 may result in a higher settlement than a misdiagnosis that causes only a slight progression of the cancer.
- Degree of harm: The more significant the harm, the higher the compensation.
- Strength of evidence: The stronger the evidence, the higher the compensation.
- Venue: Juries in some counties and venues historically award higher awards for medical malpractice cases than others.
- Quality of legal representation: An experienced attorney can increase your chance of recovering the maximum possible compensation.
Contact an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney
If your or a loved one’s cancer was misdiagnosed, resulting in harm and damages, contact our experienced Atlanta medical malpractice attorney at Carroll Law Firm for legal help. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
