Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorneys
Experienced Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers Obtain Compensation for Victims of Medical Malpractice
Any physician or any person who has suffered from cancer can tell you how critical is to find and diagnose cancer as early as possible. An early diagnosis of many types of cancers can mean that a patient has a near-certain chance of survival with a higher quality of life. Of course, failure to diagnose or to timely diagnose cancer means that a patient either receives no treatment or untimely treatment, often meaning that the patient has to undergo more extensive and painful treatment, such as surgery or chemotherapy, and has a much lower chance of survival and reduced quality of life.
You may have seen your primary physician or dermatologist to have a dark spot or mole examined. Many times, the physician may remove the spot or mole for comfort or aesthetic purposes. A reasonable, prudent physician would normally send removed tissue to be examined by a pathologist to determine if a patient is in fact suffering from melanoma or other malignant forms of skin cancer. However, your physician may carelessly fail to send your tissue away for examination and simply may throw it out. If you are in fact suffering from melanoma or other skin cancer, the mole or spot may grow back, at which time it may be too late to treat the cancer in a way that is easier for the patient and nearly guarantees a full recovery.
Injured Due To A Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis And Have Questions? We Can Help, Tell Us What Happened.
If your doctor has misdiagnosed your skin cancer, you have legal rights and options. You may be entitled to receive compensation for losses and suffering caused by your physician’s failure to diagnose or timely diagnose your skin cancer, including increased medical expenses due to the need for more aggressive treatment, lost income and earning capacity due to the need to take time off of work for recovery, pain and suffering caused by the cancer or more aggressive treatment protocols. The skin cancer misdiagnosis lawyers of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC have a track record of success helping our clients secure millions of dollars in recovery. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about the ways our firm can help you recover the compensation you need and deserve.
Pennsylvania Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Statistics
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 9,500 people across the country are diagnosed with skin cancer each day; more people are diagnosed with skin cancer than all other forms of cancer combined. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. In Pennsylvania, the rate of new cases of skin cancer in 2016 was 23.1 per 100,000 people.
A study in 2016 found that the positive predictive value of removed skin lesions was 72 percent for basal cell carcinoma, 49.9 percent for squamous cell carcinoma, and 33 percent for cutaneous melanoma. Thus, it is often difficult to make an accurate diagnosis, and as a result, it is common that benign lesions are diagnosed as malignant skin cancer and vice versa.
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How Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Occurs
Misdiagnosis of skin cancer can occur due to various forms of negligence that can be committed by a treating physician. Some of the common examples of negligence that our attorneys see in skin cancer misdiagnosis cases include:
- Failure to conduct thorough physical examinations
- Failure to take complete patient histories
- Failure to adequately communicate with patients
- Failure to recognize warning signs or symptoms, such as dark spots or lesions
- Failure to offer or recommend skin cancer screening to at-risk patients
- Failure to conduct skin cancer testing
- Failure to conduct testing of removed skin lesions and other tissue
- Failure to correctly interpret laboratory results
- Failure to refer patients with warning signs or symptoms to the appropriate specialists
- Failure to communicate with all of a patient’s treating providers
- Failure to follow diagnostic protocols
If you believe that your physician misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose or timely diagnose your skin cancer due to these reasons or other reasons, it is critical that you contact our firm to speak with one of our experienced skin cancer misdiagnosis attorneys to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Medical Malpractice Attorney at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC Obtain Compensation for Victims of Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania
The attorneys of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC work tirelessly to help our clients obtain the maximum compensation that they are entitled to under the law. We fight to ensure that our clients receive financial recovery for all the losses they suffer as a result of their skin cancer misdiagnosis, such as:
- Past and future increased medical expenses incurred as a result of your misdiagnosis
- Lost wages or income from missed work due to the need to undergo more extensive treatment because of your misdiagnosis
- Pain and suffering from more aggressive treatment necessitated by your misdiagnosis
- Loss of quality and enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship for your family
Contact the Experienced Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation
If you or a loved one believe that you have been the victim of malpractice in the form of a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of your skin cancer, you may have legal rights and options. Contact Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our knowledgeable skin cancer misdiagnosis attorneys to discuss your case and to learn more about how our firm can help you obtain the financial recovery you need and deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions about Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
Possibly. You may have a claim for compensation if your skin cancer was misdiagnosed or not timely diagnosed because of your physician’s actions or omissions when another physician of similar training and experience would have undertaken other acts that would have timely diagnosed your skin cancer. If another reasonably prudent physician would have acted as your doctor did and would have diagnosed your skin cancer at the same time, then your doctor’s actions may not rise to the level of malpractice.
Under Pennsylvania law, you have two years from the date of malpractice to file a lawsuit for damages. However, Pennsylvania law also uses the discovery rule, which means that this two-year period does not begin to run until you know or should know of facts that indicate that you were the victim of malpractice that led to the misdiagnosis of your skin cancer.