The short answer to “Can patients claim for a delayed cancer diagnosis?” is yes.
However, to understand if you can pursue compensation for a delayed cancer diagnosis, we need to delve more deeply into the subject.
Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Is Serious
Delaying a cancer diagnosis can be a serious issue.
When a doctor or another medical professional makes the mistake of delaying your cancer diagnosis by more than a month, it can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Surgery and other treatments may not be possible later down the line and a patient’s health could get progressively worse. Delayed cancer diagnoses can even result in fatalities.
Check out this insightful article to find out more about wrongful death lawsuits.
Pursuing a Claim
If the delayed cancer diagnosis is due to the negligence of a doctor or another medical professional, it means the professional did not perform his or her duties properly, in which case, you can file a lawsuit to gain compensation and hold the responsible party to account.
However, for a lawsuit to be valid, it must be proven that factors of negligence apply.
That means proving things like the doctor’s duty of care was breached, the negligence caused a particular outcome, and you lost income due to the delayed diagnosis.
At the end of the day, to win a claim for delayed cancer diagnosis, your lawyer must be able to prove negligence. Without provable negligence, the ability to sue will usually not be possible.
Many cases are not black and white. The more difficult or confusing it is to prove negligence, the less likely it is you will have a valid lawsuit and receive compensation.
Pinpointing who is to blame can also be challenging and affect your ability to file and win a lawsuit. For example, in a case when an inexperienced doctor should consult with a senior doctor to determine your cancer results, the responsibility could lie with the inexperienced doctor or the senior doctor, or both.
Sometimes, health providers themselves can be responsible for delayed cancer diagnosis.
Hiring a Lawyer
An incorrect or delayed cancer diagnosis can be a form of medical malpractice. To pursue a claim for delayed cancer diagnosis, you will need to seek assistance from a reputable and experienced law firm that specializes in such cases.
You can find out more at https://delayedcancerdiagnosis.org.
With a lawyer on board, he or she will gather as much evidence as possible to help increase your chances of winning the claim.
Your lawyer will be able to advise you as to whether it is better to enter into an out-of-court settlement or proceed with your claim through the court.
And as artificial intelligence and other technological advances continue to change the way that lawyers work, it may become easier for lawyers to provide victims with even better support and services in the future.
Do Not Underestimate the Dangers of Delayed Cancer Diagnosis
Do not underestimate how dangerous a delayed cancer diagnosis can be.
According to The BMJ, patients whose cancer treatment is delayed by one month or more have between a 6% to 13% higher risk of dying.
Of course, when a cancer diagnosis is delayed, the treatments can also be delayed.
Summing Up
Unfortunately, delayed cancer diagnosis does happen. In fact, they happen far too often. In turn, that can cause treatments to be delayed, which increases the risk of the cancer worsening and causing death.
When cancer diagnoses are delayed, it will not only affect the patient. It will also affect his or her family.
While financial compensation cannot change the delayed diagnosis and treatment, it can at least go some way to helping patients and family members.
By filing a lawsuit against the responsible party, you not only have the opportunity to gain the financial compensation you deserve. You also get to hold the responsible party to account.
