Breast Cancer Compensation Claims

WHAT IS A BREAST CANCER COMPENSATION CLAIM?

A breast cancer compensation claim is a legal process to help you if you have suffered due to the misdiagnosis or negligent treatment of breast cancer. You make a claim, with the help of medical negligence lawyers, and receive a compensation payout if it can be proved that a medical professional provided substandard care. Every patient has the right to receive a good standard of care. For breast cancer patients, this is particularly important because a timely diagnosis and the correct course of treatment can improve the outcome considerably. 98% of women survive stage 1 breast cancer versus 25% of women with stage 4 cancer. If, for any reason or during any part of your cancer journey, you experienced breast cancer misdiagnosis, a delay in treatment, or any other form of breast cancer negligence, a breast cancer compensation claim could be the right choice for you.

The most common types of breast cancer claims include:

• Breast cancer misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis 

• Incorrect staging of cancer

• Surgical negligence 

• Failure to conduct adequate testing or refer a patient to a specialist

• Not enough of the cancerous tissue being removed, meaning that the cancer returns later

• Unnecessary cosmetic damage to the breasts or breast reconstruction surgery being carried out

If you or a loved one has been affected by breast cancer misdiagnosis or negligence, please contact our medical negligence experts who can advise and guide you through claiming compensation for the damage caused.

BREAST CANCER MISDIAGNOSIS CLAIMS

The most commonly known sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. However, many other signs and symptoms should be investigated by your GP or consultant to rule out or diagnose breast cancer. These symptoms can be misdiagnosed as other illnesses, for example, lumps can often be mistaken for benign cysts or fluctuating hormone levels. We have also seen cases where women were below the typical age for breast cancer and so symptoms were not taken seriously enough. Rashes or changes in skin texture have been diagnosed as skin conditions like eczema, and we have helped women who have been misdiagnosed with mastitis or fibrocystic breast disease which turned out to be cancer.

Your concerns should always be taken seriously. It’s a good idea to be aware of the standard of care you should receive in a breast cancer diagnosis:

In the UK, breast cancer patients should receive their diagnosis through ‘a triple test’ investigation.

This includes:

• A clinical examination of a lump in the breast

• A mammogram procedure

• A biopsy where a pathologist reviews the potentially cancerous cells under a microscope

What is the most common misdiagnosis of breast cancer?

Some of the most frequently mistaken breast cancer diagnoses we have seen include:

• Fibrocystic Breast Disease causes lumps and tenderness, with symptoms that overlap with breast cancer

• Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue, often occurring during breastfeeding. It causes symptoms including redness and swelling

• Breast Cysts are fluid-filled sacs and are usually benign

• Pregnancy-related breast changes can be difficult to distinguish from breast cancer, causing similar symptoms

What are the implications of a breast cancer misdiagnosis?

If cancer is present it should, ideally, be found early enough to improve the probability of recovery. However, if this diagnosis was performed inadequately or the results were interpreted incorrectly, it is possible that your breast cancer could be misdiagnosed and this can have severe consequences.

The most serious implication of a breast cancer misdiagnosis is that the cancer progresses to a more aggressive and advanced stage. In some cases, a misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatment for a condition that isn’t cancer. You could then suffer the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, unnecessarily.

A breast cancer misdiagnosis can also leave you with a financial burden because of the costs associated with unnecessary, or additional, tests and medications.

If you have suffered a breast cancer misdiagnosis, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. Breast cancer negligence solicitors can help you understand your options and how much compensation you are entitled to.

BREAST CANCER SCREENING CLAIMS

Breast screenings are offered between the ages of 50 and 71. Those who are eligible will receive an invitation via post every three years. However, if you were born between 1938 and 1950 you may not be on the current system, you can contact the NHS here to see about your appointment status.

If you believe that you should have received a screening invitation but didn’t, and this led to the worsening of your condition, we are here to help. It is possible that an administrative error led to the delay in your diagnosis which could delay treatment and even increase the risk of the cancer returning in the future. In this case, you may be owed a breast cancer compensation payout for what you have gone through.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN MAKE A BREAST CANCER CLAIM?

The best way to determine if you can make a breast cancer claim is to contact a medical negligence lawyer. Our team understands the complexities of breast cancer negligence and misdiagnosis; when you contact us we will ask you some questions about your situation and explain whether you have the grounds to make a successful claim. We have helped people throughout the UK claim breast cancer compensation for a variety of reasons, including:

• Symptoms misdiagnosed for other illnesses such as cysts

• Failure to refer for tests or delays in testing

• Failure to perform a biopsy

• Results or scans being read incorrectly

• Errors in routine mammograms

• Delays in starting treatment or the wrong treatment being administered

Even if cancer is detected, staging errors can occur, resulting in the wrong course of treatment. Secondary breast cancer can even show up in other areas of the body and not the breast at all, which leads to serious delays in a diagnosis. Yourely on healthcare professionals to get your diagnosis and care right; when this doesn’t happen, you are entitled to compensation.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN MAKING A BREAST CANCER CLAIM?

If you are making a claim for breast cancer compensation then you can expect that, after an investigation, you will be awarded an amount based on the impact the medical negligence or misdiagnosis has had on your life. When working on your claim we take into account the severity of the medical negligence and the cost of rebuilding your life. This usually includes:

• The cost of additional private treatment, where necessary

• The opportunity to receive rehabilitation services and products

• Repayment for any loss of earnings while you have been unable to work

• Any financial burden on your friends and family who have had to care for you

• The cost of travel to and from appointments

• Pain, suffering and the emotional distress suffered throughout your breast cancer misdiagnosis

We are dedicated to ensuring you receive an explanation and apology for what happened to you. If you entrust us with your case, you can be sure that we will work tirelessly to secure the best compensation to support your physical and emotional recovery.

WRONGLY DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER

There are some instances where test results are misread, or a biopsy is misreported. This results in an incorrect breast cancer diagnosis and  unnecessary mastectomies or invasive chemotherapy treatment that was not needed. The emotional turmoil that this causes can have a huge impact on an individual and their family, not to mention the physical side-effects.

Just as we are here to help with a cancer misdiagnosis or errors in treatment, we can also help with any claim where breast cancer was wrongly diagnosed.

WHY CHOOSE PATIENT CLAIM LINE FOR YOUR BREAST CANCER COMPENSATION CLAIM?

Patient Claim Line has been helping people just like you since 2014. We only handle medical negligence cases; nothing else. This means our solicitors are experts in their field and understand breast cancer medical negligence and misdiagnosis inside and out.

We offer a completely free initial consultation, where we tell you if you have a claim and then work with you to establish exactly what happened and where you are currently in your breast cancer diagnosis and care plan. Our sole aim is to get you as much compensation as possible so you can try to heal the physical and emotional wounds caused by medical negligence. With over 100 solicitors based throughout the UK, we have someone near you who can help get you started with your claim and guide you through the whole process.

NO WIN NO FEE BREAST CANCER CLAIMS

As part of our No Win No Fee agreement, you will not have to pay anything up front if we take your case. You will only pay if we win. If we do not win your case, you are completely protected and do not have to pay us anything. We understand that breast cancer takes a serious toll on you and your family, and will do everything we can to ensure that making a claim is as stress- free and simple for you as possible.

A successful breast cancer negligence claim can result in a settlement, as well as the opportunity for the trust or healthcare professional to apologise. Compensation can also mean:

• Financial compensation that can help you get back to life before your suffering.

• Covering the cost of additional private treatment, where necessary

• The opportunity to receive rehabilitation services and products

• Assist with any loss of earnings while you have been unable to work

If you have suffered breast cancer medical negligence or misdiagnosis, get in touch today and we can help you secure the compensation you deserve.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AS A RESULT OF NEGLIGENCE RELATING TO YOUR BREAST CANCER TREATMENT AT BARKING HAVERING AND REDBRIDGE UNIVERSITY TRUST, OUR EXPERT TEAM IS HERE TO HELP.