People with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, often have a good prognosis when they are diagnosed when the cancer is at Stage I. When bone cancer is not diagnosed until it has progressed to Stage II or Stage III, though, the outcome rapidly declines. As such, a missed or delayed bone cancer diagnosis can cause critical and often terminal harm. The failure to diagnose bone cancer is often the result of carelessness, and practitioners that negligently fail to perform their professional duties should be deemed liable for the losses their patients suffer. If you were injured by your doctor’s incompetence, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to discuss your potential claims. The knowledgeable Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers of Arfaa Law Group possess the skills and resources needed to help you protect your interests, and if you hire us, we will work tirelessly to aid you in the pursuit of a good result.
Diagnosing and Treating Bone CancerGenerally, the first and most prevalent symptom of bone cancer is pain. At first, the discomfort may only occur at night or when the person is active, but as the cancer develops, the pain may be present at all times. In some instances, a person with bone cancer may be able to see or feel a lump or mass near the affected bone. In later stages of bone cancer, the infected bone may become weak and may break easily.
Doctors diagnose bone cancer through a series of tests, including blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, and biopsies. If a doctor does not heed a patient’s complaints and neglects to conduct necessary exams, though, bone cancer may go undiagnosed. In many cases, surgery is the first line of treatment for bone cancer. Depending on the size of the patient’s tumor, amputation may be necessary. In some instances, chemotherapy may be offered as well. When cancer has progressed to later stages, however, treatments often fail.
Recovering Compensation for the Failure to Diagnose Bone CancerPeople harmed by a doctor’s failure to diagnose bone cancer are often able to recover compensation via medical malpractice lawsuits. In most instances, the harm caused by health care providers is avoidable but not intentional. As such, most plaintiffs in medical malpractice matters assert negligence claims against the defendants.
Under Maryland law, negligence is made up of four parts, and a plaintiff must establish each one to demonstrate liability. The first part is the duty the defendant owes to the plaintiff. As it relates to medical care, the duty owed is to offer care that meets the relevant standard, which is the care that a reasonable doctor working in the same practice area would offer in a similar situation. The second element is a breach of the duty owed. The final two elements, causation and damages are linked. In other words, the plaintiff has to produce evidence establishing that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to sustain actual losses.
Most judges and jurors do not possess an independent understanding of the duties imposed on doctors, the plaintiff will most likely have to hire an expert to explain the applicable standard and the ways in which the treatment offered by the defendant deviated from the standard. The expert will also likely need to demonstrate causation. In some instances, the plaintiff will need to hire additional experts to testify regarding the physical and economic losses caused by the defendant’s behavior and to explain what treatment the plaintiff is likely to need in the future.
Meet with a Trusted Baltimore AttorneyBone cancer can cause devastating losses, especially if it is not diagnosed in an early stage. If you sustained damages due to a physician’s failure to diagnose bone cancer, you have the right to seek compensation, and you should meet with a lawyer to discuss your claims. The trusted Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group can assess the circumstances surrounding your injuries and advise you regarding what damages you may be able to recover. We regularly represent people in medical malpractice lawsuits in Baltimore, where our office is located. You can contact us through our online form or by calling us at 410-889-1850 to set up a meeting.