Cancer Misdiagnosis Personal Injury Lawyer New York: The Bronx

Serving New York: The Bronx | Grand Concourse | Riverdale | Pelham | Fordham | Co-op City

There are three words that people may fear hearing more than any other: You have cancer. And with nearly two million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year, a lot of people are going through a very difficult, frightening, and uncertain time.

But there is also a group numbering in the tens of thousands or more who we often don’t hear about: Those people who had their cancer misdiagnosed, where a doctor fails to identify a cancerous growth and gives it valuable time to expand. This can lead to a patient needing much more aggressive treatment and raises the chances that they will die from the disease.

If you or a loved one experienced a botched cancer diagnosis, you need a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Bronx NY today!

What are the dangers of misdiagnosed cancer?

It can be fatal! If cancer is not identified and treated in its early stages, it can metastasize – which means spread to other parts of the body. Once malignant cancer gets into the circulatory or lymphatic systems, it can invade and grow in many other organs. This is how some treatable forms of cancer can become deadly cancers like lung, breast, stomach, or brain cancers.

What does cancer misdiagnosis look like?

Doctors are thoroughly trained to find cancer, but spotting cancer isn’t always clear-cut. Part of the problem is that insurers and doctors trying to keep down patient costs may not follow-up on something that could be dangerous – instead, mistaking something they can’t identify on an X-ray as a smudge or other anomaly. Practicing pennywise medicine can lead to tragic consequences for a patient and their family.

A misdiagnosis also can involve a physician diagnosing the wrong type of cancer, which leads to incorrect treatment that can make a patient worse – not all cancer treatments are effective for different cancers. This is where having a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Bronx NY in your corner can really benefit you and your family.

With all the medical malpractice advertisements, should I trust my doctor?

Patients do and should trust their doctors, but doctors are human, and errors do happen. There are all kinds of reasons why bad things happen, and even a doctor who you may not see could be the one improperly evaluating your test results. This is why having a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Bronx NY is important. We know how to look for who may be responsible or who may share responsibility in the event you experienced a cancer misdiagnosis. Our experience tells us that the trail may start with your doctor, but it may not end there.

Are many cases of cancer misdiagnosed? What kinds are misdiagnosed?

Nationally, there are quite a few cases. There are a variety of studies on misdiagnosis, but we’ve seen estimates of diagnostic mistakes related to cancer range from around 70,000-to-200,000, which seems to us like big numbers. And all studies acknowledge that there are many incidents that go unreported.

Studies indicate that lymphoma and breast cancer are the two most commonly misdiagnosed cancers, followed by melanomas and sarcomas, which can affect tradesmen like construction workers. On the other side, studies show that the error rates for lung and colon cancer appear to be much lower.

I suspect my cancer was misdiagnosed, but my doctor says it wasn’t. What should I do?

Contact a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Bronx NY as soon as possible! There is going to be a lot of paperwork, and the sooner we start investigating, the better. Your health records are important legal evidence, as are your insurance records. Even if the doctor is trying to obscure responsibility, we will be able to find records of tests that were done and subpoena the results of the tests. This will enable us to learn the truth and get you the compensation you are entitled to if there was a cancer misdiagnosis.

How much time does the Statute of Limitations provide to pursue a cancer misdiagnosis claim?

This is a great question, and the answer is unique to New York. Since 2018, the Statute of Limitations when it comes to cancer diagnosis changed when New York adopted Lavern’s Law. The law is named for a Brooklyn woman, Lavern Wilkinson, who had an X-ray that showed an irregularity on her lung in 2010 that should have been examined further, but the doctor let it go. By 2012, she had full-blown lung cancer and she died a year later. The doctor could not be held accountable at that time because the Statute of Limitations on that case had expired. Lavern’s Law gives a person two-and-a-half years from the time they discover the error to file a claim. This better protects patients and their families if there is negligence on the part of a medical professional.

I am ready to talk to someone. What should I do now?

Call a Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Bronx NY who will fight for your injury claim. At Feiner & Lavy, we pride ourselves on being able to handle a variety of different cases, and our expertise in legal process enables us to move quickly and efficiently in filing your case, investigating your claim, and helping you through a very difficult process. We are a flexible firm with far-reaching legal expertise and are well respected in the legal community.