Can I Sue for a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis in Illinois?

 Posted on October 28, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

Did you know that U.S. women have a 13 percent chance of developing breast cancer during their lives? Approximately 310,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed, and around 42,250 women die each year from this deadly disease. Survival rates are highest when diagnosed and treated at an early stage before the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. Mammography is a common diagnostic tool, along with ultrasound, MRI, blood tests, and biopsy.

What happens if a medical professional misdiagnoses breast cancer? Can you get compensation through a medical malpractice claim? The compassionate attorneys from Newland & Newland, LLP can evaluate your case and help you determine your legal options.

How Can Healthcare Providers Misdiagnose Breast Cancer?

Doctors, radiologists, lab techs, and other providers must take special care to treat their patients correctly. Misdiagnosis can take many forms, such as:

• Delayed diagnosis: The provider arrives at the correct diagnosis but not immediately.
• Missed diagnosis: The provider never makes the right diagnosis.
• Misdiagnosis: The provider diagnoses a condition incorrectly.
• Improper testing: The provider does not order appropriate diagnostic tests.
• Incorrect interpretation of test results: The provider does not read the test results accurately.

In some cases, faulty diagnostic equipment can lead to false positives or negatives. Prompt treatment of breast cancer is crucial to prevent it from spreading and increase survival odds. When these and other errors are made, patients may get the wrong treatment or none at all, costing them weeks and months while their cancer may progress.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

To qualify for a medical malpractice claim, you must have suffered harm and damages as a result of a medical professional’s negligence. In these cases, negligence means failing to provide the same care that another professional with similar qualifications would have provided in the same circumstances. For example:

• Most radiologists would read mammogram results accurately.
• Most doctors would diagnose breast cancer correctly and promptly.
• Most lab personnel would read blood test results accurately.
• Most doctors would prescribe the proper breast cancer treatment.

A delayed diagnosis can cause significant harm to patients. Receiving treatment for a condition they do not have can also harm them, in addition to the harm caused by the breast cancer remaining untreated.

What Damages Are Available for a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis?

Every case is different because your damages depend on your unique losses. However, you could collect payment for various damages, such as:

• Medical expenses incurred by the misdiagnosis
• Lost income
• Costs of ongoing care
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life

When you trust Newland & Newland, LLP with your case, we will meticulously evaluate your eligible damages and pursue the highest possible amounts.

Call Our Dedicated Schaumburg, IL Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers

When the people you trust to improve your medical condition are the ones who harm you, they need to be held accountable. Call Newland & Newland, LLP at 847-797-8000 for your free consultation with our determined Arlington Heights, IL medical malpractice attorneys today.