Failure to Diagnose Cancer as a Form of Medical Malpractice
The fight against cancer is difficult enough without internal troubling questions about whether your doctor could have caught the disease earlier and whether that would have made a difference in your treatment or quality of life.
Medical knowledge and technology — especially in oncology — has advanced to the point where effective treatments are available for many types of cancer, especially if they are detected in the early stages. Pap smears, colonoscopies, mammograms, X-rays and MRIs are only some of the tools available to physicians to aid in the detection of cancer.
If a doctor failed to diagnose or misdiagnosed cancer symptoms, it could be medical malpractice and could entitle the patient to file a medical malpractice action to recover financial compensation for unnecessary pain and suffering or for an unnecessarily shortened life span.
Straightforward Legal Advice From a Proven Medical Malpractice Attorney
Led by seasoned trial attorney Mark Glago, our law firm — with offices in New Orleans and Houston — has successfully handled many medical malpractice cases. Mr. Glago has a deep understanding of the complex legal nature of medical malpractice and he works closely with medical experts to evaluate potential medical malpractice cases.
If you have questions about a medical malpractice claim based on failure to diagnose cancer — on your own behalf or for a friend or family member — contact our office to schedule a consultation with a proven trial lawyer.
Examining the Medical Records — Searching for Evidence of Malpractice
To find evidence of medical malpractice requires in-depth examination of all available medical records. In consultation with expert oncologists, we review the patient's medical records in search of facts to support a medical malpractice claim:
- Do the medical records show obvious signs of cancer that the patient's general physician failed to follow up on?
- Based on the information in the medical records, should the doctor have referred the patient to a specialist for further examination or diagnostic tests?
Financial Compensation Does Not Always Equate With Justice
Having represented several cancer patients and their families, we know all too well that a financial award from a medical malpractice lawsuit can never fully compensate for the pain and suffering associated with living with or losing a family member to cancer — especially when the disease could have been brought under control with earlier intervention.
However, a medical malpractice claim brought by a compassionate and aggressive trial lawyer can educate the medical profession about the necessity of paying careful attention to early signs of cancer. We understand that a financial award is not the same thing as justice. However, it can go a long way toward increasing quality of life for the patient who is engaged in the fight of his or her life. Similarly, a family who has needlessly lost a family member to cancer may view the financial award as fit and proper punishment for the doctor who failed to detect the disease.
Contact the Glago Law Firm
If you are located in the New Orleans or Houston area and have questions about medical malpractice based on failure to diagnose cancer, contact our law firm for a complimentary and confidential case evaluation by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer.
