If your doctor did not properly diagnose your throat cancer or diagnosed it after an unacceptable delay, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice case leading to compensation.
Throat cancer occurs in your throat, voice box, or tonsils. It is more treatable the earlier you catch it. If you went to your doctor with symptoms commonly associated with throat cancer, your doctor did not make the correct diagnosis, and you suffered harm because of your doctor’s error, you could have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. A throat cancer misdiagnosis lawyer from Newsome | Melton may be able to help you recover compensation.
Our accomplished legal team represents victims of medical malpractice and helps them recover the damages they deserve. We want to hear from you. We offer a free, no-risk case evaluation to find out how we can help you.
Call our office at 888-261-5614.
If You Had Symptoms or Risk Factors for Throat Cancer That Your Doctor Did Not Take Action On, the Newsome | Melton Team Can Help
You can increase your chances of a full recovery from throat cancer by identifying the problem early and beginning treatment. But for this to happen, you need a diligent doctor who knows what to look for and can make the proper diagnosis. Without this, you risk a delayed diagnosis, which increases the chance of complications. In some cases, the difference between an early and a delayed diagnosis can mean life or death.
To make a proper diagnosis, your doctor must know the symptoms of throat cancer and when to order further testing to screen for the disease. Your doctor should also understand what risk factors heighten your chances of developing throat cancer. Multiple symptoms combined with one or more risk factors are often a giveaway that something is significantly wrong.
Symptoms of Throat Cancer
These are the most common symptoms of throat cancer:
- A persistent cough
- Voice changes (e.g., hoarseness, a gravely sound, not speaking clearly)
- Trouble swallowing
- Persistent ear pain
- A lump or sore in the throat
- A sore throat
- Unintentional and unexplained weight loss
Most of these symptoms have more than one possible cause. That is still no excuse for your doctor to make a misdiagnosis. It is their job to order testing to rule out various causes until your condition is correctly identified. A Newsome | Melton lawyer can hold your doctor accountable for negligence.
Risk Factors for Throat Cancer
These are the most common risk factors for throat cancer:
- Tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, as well as chewing or dipping tobacco)
- Drinking alcohol to excess
- HPV virus
- A diet low in fruits and vegetables
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
At the time you went to the doctor, you might not have known about these risk factors, but your doctor should have. And your doctor should have conducted a full medical and family history to determine if you have risk factors for throat cancer or any other serious diseases. For a doctor not to do this is to potentially abdicate their duty of care to the patient.
Trust the Attorneys at Newsome | Melton to Build a Strong Medical Malpractice Case for Misdiagnosis of Throat Cancer
The attorneys at Newsome | Melton have fought many medical malpractice lawsuits filed on the basis of the misdiagnosis of cancer. We have helped our clients recover compensation to cover their damages. We know what it takes to build a compelling, successful case. When we put together your medical malpractice claim, we make sure it establishes these four elements:
- A duty of care owed to you by your doctor
- A breach of duty
- Injuries or harm suffered because of this breach
- Economic or non-economic damages
Duty of Care
The first condition we must satisfy is establishing that your doctor had a duty of care to you. This is usually the most straightforward piece of a medical malpractice case. In any doctor-patient relationship, a duty of care is implied. Thus, as long as we can show that you were an active patient of your doctor, we can show a duty of care.
Breach of Duty
Second, we have to show that your doctor breached their duty of care. We show this by comparing your doctor’s actions to those of a reasonable doctor in the same situation.
We can bring in medical experts to serve as witnesses and act as a reasonable person. The expert witness reviews the evidence, puts himself or herself into the shoes of the doctor, and testifies as to whether a reasonable doctor would have made the correct diagnosis.
Injuries or Harm
Third, we must show you suffered injury or harm because of your doctor’s failure to uphold their duty of care. If your cancer spread to other areas of the body, for instance, we can put together a compelling argument that it would not have done so if your doctor had made the proper diagnosis and started treatment.
Economic or Non-Economic Damages
Fourth, and last, we have to tie your injuries to specific economic or non-economic damages you incurred. Economic damages include actual financial losses such as medical bills, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages include things such as pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and physical scarring and disfigurement.
Let the Throat Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers at Newsome | Melton Help You Recover Compensation
You deserve compensation for the harm you suffered because of your doctor’s negligent failure to diagnose your throat cancer accurately. A throat cancer misdiagnosis lawyer from Newsome | Melton can help you collect this money and hold your doctor accountable. We offer a free, no-risk consultation and case evaluation.