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Cancer Negligence Claims
Reviewed by
Peter Rigby - Director of Medical Negligence
We've got your Cancer Negligence Claim covered
- No win No fee
- Not just lawyers - real specialists
- No obligation
- UK's highest-rated medical negligence solicitors
What Is A Cancer Negligence Claim?
With cancer negligence claims, a delay in diagnosing, misdiagnosing or treating cancer is often the reason for medical negligence. Around two thirds of cancer cases are initially diagnosed. As catching cancer early on improves the chances of survival considerably, any delay in diagnosis or treatment can be incredibly costly which is why you are entitled to compensation that can help you repair the damage caused by medical negligence.
It can be confusing trying to understand if what happened to you really was medical negligence. Every healthcare professional must treat patients according to a code of conduct and have a duty of care. When this duty of care has not been met when receiving cancer treatment, and the consequences have resulted in suffering that would otherwise have been avoided, this is considered to be medical negligence. If you have received any sort of cancer negligence, whether it be misdiagnosis or treatment, at Patient Claim Line, we can help you make a cancer negligence claim.
Making A Cancer Negligence Claim
If the worst does happen and you find yourself seeking legal advice for a cancer misdiagnosis or treatment claim, our expert team of solicitors can provide guidance and reassurance during a truly devastating time. When you are claiming for cancer misdiagnosis, we will guide you through the process and explain:
- If we are able to take on your cancer misdiagnosis case and if we believe that we can win you the compensation you’re entitled to
- How your cancer misdiagnosis claim will be handled and what information we need from you
- How much your claim may be worth
- What compensation can help you with
- How our no win no fee agreements work
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Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
Cancer misdiagnosis claims can vary from late diagnosis to the wrong diagnosis. There are hundreds of types of cancers and many cancers have early symptoms that are associated with less serious illnesses at first, this is one of the reasons why cancer may be misdiagnosed.
The NHS set targets to diagnose three-quarters of cancer cases at an early stage to help improve survival rates. As it stands, this target is not being met and at Patient Claim Line, we have helped thousands of patients make a cancer misdiagnosis claim for many types of cancer including:
- Breast cancer – unexplained lumps can sometimes be diagnosed as blocked milk ducts or benign cysts
- Prostate cancer – an enlarged prostate can cause issues with urination and can be misdiagnosed as a urinary tract infection
- Lung cancer – lung cancer can be mistaken for routine respiratory illnesses or even asthma
- Bowel cancer – symptoms of bowel cancer can be misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or food related illnesses like coeliac disease
- Melanoma skin cancer – skin cancer can be misdiagnosed when moles are not investigated correctly or skin changes are diagnosed as other illnesses like psoriasis or eczema
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma – typically harder to diagnose as symptoms can look like less serious illnesses like the flu. A biopsy is the only way to diagnose this type of cancer.
It’s worth noting that cancer negligence can happen at any stage of your cancer, including initial appointments, after having tests or when receiving treatment like chemotherapy. Different types of cancer will have different symptoms and all of them should be thoroughly investigated and the right course of action taken as quickly as possible to avoid cancer misdiagnosis.
During early appointments, when you share your concerns with your doctor, you will likely be thoroughly examined or referred to a specialist if they believe further investigation is required. If a GP suspects you have cancer, they should make an urgent referral within two weeks. If this does not happen and you later learn you do have cancer, it can be treated as medical negligence and you may be able to make a cancer misdiagnosis claim.
How Do I Know If I Can Make A Cancer Negligence Claim?
If you or your GP are concerned about cancer symptoms, you should be offered an appointment with a specialist within 2 weeks of your General Practitioner (GP) making the referral. This is stated on the NHS’s online waiting times guide. If you are not referred to a specialist and your cancer diagnosis is delayed, you may be able to claim for any suffering caused.
Other examples of cancer negligence claims include:
- Failing to request the proper tests in the right time period
- Misreading test results such as blood or tissue samples
- Not recording patient information or symptoms properly
- Diagnosing a different illness
- Prescribing the wrong treatment
To make a cancer negligence or misdiagnosis claim, it must be proven that if any of the above did occur, this had a direct impact on the outcome of your cancer and that this outcome could have been avoided.
If you are unsure whether you can make a cancer negligence claim, get in touch with us today and you can find out for free whether or not you could make a claim for compensation.
How Much Can I Expect From My Cancer Negligence Payout?
There is no absolute settlement figure for cancer negligence or misdiagnosis claims as every case is different.
When making a claim for cancer negligence, we work hard to understand every detail of your cancer diagnosis to get you a fair figure that represents the extreme distress you have suffered. Typically when making a cancer claim, you will receive compensation for things like:
- Paying for private healthcare or other medical fees you may need
- Costs of palliative equipment or changes to your home or car
- Loss of earnings while undergoing cancer treatment
- Transport costs if cancer has left you unable to drive
- Loss of earnings for a loved one who has become your carer
- Any pain or suffering caused
- Counselling and support services
When making a cancer misdiagnosis or negligence claim, every case will be decided according to the individual circumstances. However, using a specialist cancer negligence solicitor will ensure that you have the absolute best chance of getting the maximum settlement that you are entitled to. At Patient Claim Line, we have worked on many cancer claims and one of our clients was awarded a seven figure sum after a cancer misdiagnosis resulted in the tragic loss of their loved one. Alongside the final settlement the family were given an apology from their doctor which was incredibly important to them.
Why Choose Patient Claim Line For Your Cancer Negligence Claim?
At Patient Claim Line, our specialist legal experts have extensive experience in supporting clients and delivering cancer negligence compensation. We understand the distress and devastation that can be caused by delayed, negligent or misdiagnosed cancer treatment. When you are ready to speak up we will talk through your case and help you access the compensation that could make such a difference to you and your family. Our team of over 100 solicitors have helped thousands of clients access the compensation and support they are entitled to.
No Win No Fee Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
When dealing with a cancer diagnosis, the last thing you want to worry about is funding a compensation claim. All of our misdiagnosis and medical negligence cases are No Win No Fee. If we don’t win your case for you, you don’t need to pay a penny.
Why Choose Patient Claim Line for your Cancer Negligence Claim?
Not just lawyers — medical negligence experts
Patient Claim Line was established in 2014 and consists of a team of medical lawyers specialising in cancer negligence and general medical negligence claims.
At Patient Claim Line we have more than 100 solicitors with a combined experience of over 400 years and they will work on your behalf to achieve the best result possible for you.
It’s not enough to use a solicitor who sometimes covers medical negligence. You need someone who knows this area through and through. That is what the solicitors here at Patient Claim Line do. They deal exclusively in this area of law and are experts in the field.
Frequently asked questions about Cancer Negligence Claims
Our expert legal team answer your questions about making a Cancer Negligence Claim
As solicitors specialising in cancer negligence claims, we know how important it is to estimate your compensation figure ahead of pursuing a claim. Although we cannot calculate an exact figure beforehand, our legal teams are here to support and advise on all critical aspects of your case.
This means that the more evidence we have, and the more we know about your experience, the better equipped we will be to deliver a fair and just final award.
There are now a range of screening options for many types of common cancers. Some cancers, however, are less common and can therefore be harder to detect. Pancreatic cancer can exist in the body for a long time before symptoms become obvious and, even then, can be misdiagnosed as digestive illnesses. Lymphoma can also be misdiagnosed as more common illnesses due to its effect on the immune system. Patients typically develop a cold or the flu more often which may be mistaken as a virus without uncovering the underlying cause.
Regardless of the type of cancer, if there has been an avoidable delay in treatment due to misdiagnosis, your claim for medical negligence will be investigated and our expert team will find out why it happened.
We are all impacted by cancer, in one way or another. Therefore, we want to be there for you should a member of your family, or a friend, become the victim of a negligent cancer diagnosis. You can claim on behalf of someone else if:
- Someone’s death was a result of a delay in the diagnosis of cancer or treatment If you are the spouse or child of an individual who unfortunately died as a result of negligence or a misdiagnosis.
- If you’re the parent of a child under the age of 18.
- If you can prove that you were financially dependent on the individual who has died.
- You are acting on behalf of the estate of the deceased person or you are sorting the affairs of the deceased person.
Ordinarily there’s a three-year time limit to submit your claim. That’s three-years from the date of the negligence or from your date of knowledge of the negligence, whichever is later. In the case of a deceased person, the three years runs from the date of death of a loved one.
When you make the claim itself, there is no set time frame. The time from initial consultation until final settlement will vary depending on the individual circumstances of your cancer misdiagnosis.
Once we accept your claim, we always work on a no win no fee basis.
This means that if you pursue your claim with us, and the claim is not successful, you walk away without having to pay us a penny. That’s our promise to you.
For more information on making a claim, read our FAQ section.
Meet our Cancer Negligence Team
Case Study
Sarah's Story
"Now we have peace of mind"
My husband, Nick, went back and forth to the doctors for a long time and tried everything the doctor recommended. But his illness got worse, to the point that he was in agony.
In the end we got so desperate that we asked for a referral. The doctor was reluctant, so we had to consult a private hospital. That’s when we found out there was a tumour. It took years from the onset of his illness to finally start cancer treatment.
He used to be a man with a lot to live for, but in the end he was in so much pain that he withdrew from the family. He became angry that nobody had helped him sooner, and the legal team were able to give him the validation that he was desperately seeking. The NHS confirmed if they had done more, Nick would still be alive today.
