Atlanta’s Injury Advocate For Over 35 Years

Georgia Failure To Diagnose Breast Cancer Lawyer

The only thing more frightening than being diagnosed with breast cancer is the thought of a doctor making a mistake that allowed it to go undetected. The aggressive nature of most breast cancers is well documented, and late detection can seriously compromise a victim’s treatment options and chances for survival.

If you or someone you love is suffering from breast cancer that was allowed to advance because of a doctor’s error in diagnosis, you likely have a case for a medical malpractice claim. It is critical that you seek the advice of a Georgia lawyer experienced with failure to diagnose breast cancer cases who knows the law and has the ability to take on Georgia’s largest health care organizations.

Our attorneys offer clients over 35 years of experience in personal injury law. Contact our Atlanta law firm to discuss your breast cancer misdiagnosis claim.

Errors That Can Lead To A Delay In Breast Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment

Delays in a breast cancer diagnosis can be the result of mistakes by a woman’s physician, the mammogram testing center, the radiologist who reviews her scans, the lab that evaluated a biopsy or a combination of factors. Some of the most common causes of a delayed diagnosis include:

  • Failure to perform the annual breast exam entirely
  • Failure to identify an obvious lump during a breast exam
  • Ignoring a patient’s complaints or symptoms
  • Misattributing symptoms to a benign condition or infection
  • Failure to refer a patient for testing after an abnormal physical exam
  • Misdiagnosing a cancerous tumor as a benign cyst or another disease
  • Failing to biopsy a lump that has been identified
  • Misreading the mammogram results or biopsy results
  • Not looking for the cause of nipple discharge
  • Failure to review test results, including mammograms and biopsies
  • Not taking a patient’s family history into account when ordering tests

All of these can result in failures to initiate treatment for breast cancer until the disease has progressed or even become untreatable.

Can You Sue A Doctor For Failing To Diagnose Breast Cancer?

In many cases, yes, you can sue a doctor, pathologist or even a health care facility for a delayed breast cancer diagnosis. In general, to have a successful case, the following must be true:

  • The doctor or health care provider had a professional obligation, or duty of care, to provide a certain level of treatment.
  • They failed to adhere to the reasonable standard of care expected by someone in their profession under similar circumstances.
  • There is a direct link between their failure to uphold that standard of care and their breach of duty to any harm you suffered.
  • The delay in treatment has caused you actual harm, such as worsening your condition or causing you to miss the last clear window you had for recovery.

Because it can be difficult to know when you have a valid claim, it is always best to seek an attorney’s guidance.

Strong Support When There Is a Failure to Diagnose

At the law firm of Hilley & Frieder, P.C., our medical malpractice attorneys have extensive experience handling cases involving the misdiagnosis of breast cancer. We understand the standard of care that doctors are held to in these matters, and we know what steps a competent doctor would take in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

When you hire our firm, we will conduct a complete investigation of the case to determine where the mistakes happened and who was responsible. We will pursue maximum compensation for your additional medical expenses and emotional distress. If we are not able to negotiate a satisfactory settlement on your behalf, we are fully prepared to take your case to court.

Free Consultations

To discuss your case with one of our attorneys, call (404) 795-6099 today. You may also contact us online and expect a prompt response to your email.

Mia Frieder was the contributing attorney to this content.

Attorneys Ronald Hilley And Mia Frieder Working Together In Office Hallway