With all the different diseases out there, it can be scary to think that something could be wrong with you. We see advertisements all day long telling us that certain products cause cancer. On top of this, smoking and second-hand smoke doesn’t help. You may have felt that something just wasn’t right and gone to see your doctor. He prescribes an antibiotic and tells you that you’re fine. You find out six months later that you have lung cancer. Your new doctor tells you that, had it been diagnosed a few months earlier, you probably would have a much better prognosis.
Certain cancers respond to treatment much better than others. If you catch it early enough, you may be able to stop it before it spreads. So, what if you don’t find out you’re sick until it’s too late? What if your doctor could have prevented it?
We rely on our doctors to take care of us, we expect that they know what they’re doing and know how to diagnosis us properly. We shouldn’t have to worry that they miss something. Or, worse yet, that they’re so quick to get us out of their office that they don’t take the time to really examine us.
If you are sick as the result of a misdiagnosis, you need to contact an Atlanta personal injury attorney. He can help you file a claim against your doctor and any other party who may be responsible for your injuries.
How Can a Cancer Misdiagnosis Happen?
You may be surprised to know that serious illnesses like cancer are misdiagnosed a lot more often than you think. In fact, about 10-20% of all cancer patients are misdiagnosed at first. Sometimes, this is due to your case being unique or rare. Other times, it’s due to a doctor’s negligence.
When you’re not feeling well, you go to see your doctor. You depend on him to take care of you. He’s supposed to run the necessary tests to see what’s wrong with you. If you have something as serious as cancer, he should be able to catch it.
People are misdiagnosed every day. This can be due to:
- Doctors tend to avoid ordering expensive tests
- They only spend about 15 minutes with each patient
- Your doctor assumes you have a more common ailment than you do
- Your doctor is untrained or incompetent
- The doctor’s office confuses your records with another patient’s file
If this happens to you, you need an Atlanta personal injury attorney. They handle dozens of injury claims every year. Whether your case is due to medical malpractice or not, you may be entitled to damages.
Your Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney Will Get You Damages
If your doctor fails to diagnose your cancer, you will be entitled to damages. Some of these damages may include:
- Medical bills: You will be entitled to whatever medical care you require. You wouldn’t have needed all of this treatment had you caught your disease in the early stages.
- Lost Wages: You’ll surely be out of work for months if you are being treated for cancer. You may not be back to work at all. The defendant will be liable for these damages.
- Pain and Suffering: If you get cancer, you will be entitled to a lot of pain and suffering damages. The doctor, his insurance and his practice may be liable for millions of dollars. It depends on the circumstances.
Your attorney is going to work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact an Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’re misdiagnosed and end up with terminal cancer, you’ll be entitled to certain damages. Your lawyer will be used to negotiating with insurance companies. They have decades of combined experience handling cases just like yours.
Doctors in Atlanta, Georgia are supposed to be highly qualified. If they miss an important diagnosis like cancer, they need to be held accountable.
Call an Atlanta personal injury attorney today and schedule your free initial consultation today. You can sit down with a lawyer who’s handled many Atlanta personal injury cases. He can answer any questions you may have. He can also review your case and see what it may be worth.
The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you win your case.
