Did your child's doctor misdiagnose his or her neuroblastoma?
If a doctor misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose neuroblastoma in your child, you might have grounds to file for medical malpractice. Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infants. It is often found in the adrenal glands on the top of the kidneys, but it can develop in the chest, neck, pelvis, abdomen, and bones.
Neuroblastoma tumors are highly unpredictable. It is critical for a doctor to make the right diagnosis when presented with evidence of the condition. A misdiagnosis can lead to a delay in treatment, which, in aggressive cases, can be fatal. If this happened to your child, a neuroblastoma misdiagnosis lawyer might be able to help you recover damages.
If your doctor should have diagnosed your child’s neuroblastoma and did not, the attorneys at Medical Malpractice Help can help you try to hold that doctor liable. We offer free initial consultations to victims of medical negligence across the United States. To schedule your appointment, call our office at 888-261-5614 today.
If Your Doctor Failed to Recognize the Symptoms of Neuroblastoma in Your Child, He or She Might Be Liable.
Effective treatment of this type of cancer starts with recognizing the common signs and symptoms of neuroblastoma so the patient can start receiving appropriate right away. Doctors who treat young children have a duty to know these symptoms and identify them in patients.
Often, neuroblastoma leads to tumors in the abdomen or pelvis, which can cause:
- Weight loss;
- A loss of appetite;
- A “full” feeling;
- Belly pain;
- Swelling in the legs or scrotum;
- Trouble with urinating or bowel movements.
If tumors develop in a child’s chest or neck, he or she might experience:
- Headaches;
- Dizziness;
- Swelling in face or neck;
- Coughing;
- Trouble swallowing.
Neuroblastomas also frequently release hormones, leading to a host of additional symptoms, such as:
- Fever;
- High blood pressure;
- Sweating;
A doctor who observes any of the above symptoms in a child should order additional testing to rule out neuroblastoma or other serious conditions as a possible cause. Successful treatment of neuroblastoma relies in large part on early detection. If this window is missed, serious complications, including death, could result.
If your child had one or more of the symptoms listed above, the doctor should have ordered the following tests or evaluations:
- A physical exam;
- A medical history;
- Blood and urine tests;
- An ultrasound;
- An MRI, CT, or PET scan;
- X-rays;
- A biopsy and possible bone marrow aspiration.
If your doctor did not order any of these tests and misdiagnosed your child’s neuroblastoma as another condition, it could be considered medical malpractice. A failure to diagnose any condition at all is also a form of medical malpractice.
How We Will Pursue Your Misdiagnosis Malpractice Claim
At Medical Malpractice Help, our lawyers have a track record of helping our clients go after the compensation they deserve. We can help you hold the doctor who misdiagnosed your child’s neuroblastoma liable for their negligence and your damages. Four our case to be successful, it must prove four things.
The Doctor Owed Your Child a Duty of Care.
If there was an established doctor-patient relationship, the doctor owed your child a duty of care. We can show this relationship existed by presenting billing statements from the office or other proof that the doctor was performing medical services for your child.
The Doctor Breached That Duty.
To show that your child’s doctor breached the duty of care, we compare his or her actions to those of a reasonable person faced with the same situation. By using medical expert testimony, we can demonstrate that another doctor, acting reasonably, would have made the proper diagnosis in your case.
Your Child Suffered Injury or Death as a Result.
Once we have established that your doctor violated his or her duty of care, we must link that violation to your child’s injuries or their death. We do this by showing that your child’s cancer grew and progressed because it was not diagnosed and treated promptly. We can use The evidence medical records and expert witness testimony to support this claim.
Your Child’s Injury or Death Caused Damages.
A severe injury or death of a child can cause you to incur a long list of damages, both economic and non-economic. We itemize and help you pursue compensation for these damages, which can include medical bills, lost time at work, emotional anguish, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. After we investigate your case , we can tell you how much compensation you might be entitled to based on the losses you and your family suffered.
At Medical Malpractice Help, we help clients go after fair compensation from doctors who commit malpractice. If your doctor misdiagnosed your child’s neuroblastoma, we want to talk to you. We offer free consultations and case evaluations. We can help you understand what to do after a misdiagnosis and explain your legal options.