A jury in New York awarded $15 million to a woman in a failure to diagnose breast cancer case. The plaintiff discovered a lump in her breast in 2002, so she scheduled a mammogram to check it out. Her doctor reviewed the mammogram results but concluded that the lump was not malignant, so he did not order any further tests. He scheduled a follow-up appointment with this patient for a year later. The woman’s lump grew, and upon going to another doctor, that doctor determined that the lump in her breast was indeed malignant. The cancer briefly went into remission, but relapsed and spread to her bones.
While we all worry about our health and serious issues such as heart disease or diabetes, there is no disease more frightening than cancer. The key to surviving cancer is early diagnosis and treatment. If a doctor fails to diagnose cancer, the consequences can be devastating. If either you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with cancer after it was initially missed by a doctor, you need to contact a seasoned San Francisco personal injury lawyer without delay. If cancer is diagnosed in a middle to later stage rather than an early stage, the costs of treatment and severity of the condition increase enormously.
While not all instances of delayed diagnoses are negligence, where a standard of care exists that is not followed, and as a result, treatment becomes more difficult and the harm cause more severe, a physician may be found liable for medical malpractice. Here after the initial mammogram was performed, the mass was not evaluated by sonogram, which is standard protocol in many instances.
If you have questions concerning medical malpractice or believe your doctor has ignored or missed the signs and symptoms of cancer, it is important to speak with an attorney that specializes in medical malpractice. At Bostwick & Peterson, our talented team of lawyers have access to the best physicians in the country that can methodically evaluate your case and determine your best legal options.
For more information contact the dedicated San Francisco medical malpractice lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson for a confidential consultation.