New York City Failure to Diagnose Lymphoma Lawyers

Representing New York City Victims of Lymphoma Misdiagnoses

Lymphoma is one of the most complex forms of cancer and is capable of developing in the lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, and even vital organs. It begins in infection-fighting cells known as lymphocytes, which can grow and expand into cancerous cells over time. In the early stages, it can present itself with symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, fevers, night sweats, shortness of breath, fatigue, and weight loss. While treatable if caught early, the survival rate can drop drastically if lymphoma is left untreated.

Doctors should always address concerns about cancer as thoroughly and professionally as possible. This means performing the proper tests, developing in-depth treatment plans, and responding to patient needs. When doctors dismiss a patient’s concerns, do not perform the proper tests, or ignore the signs of lymphoma, they can be found liable in a medical malpractice claim for failing to diagnose lymphoma.

If you or someone you love suffered a lymphoma misdiagnosis because of a negligent doctor or hospital, you should speak to an experienced medical malpractice law firm as soon as possible. At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, our team of dedicated New York City lymphoma misdiagnosis attorneys can review the circumstances of your medical treatment and determine if your eligible to file a claim. We are devoted to serving patients injured by negligent hospitals, doctors, and staff. If you suffered undue harm due to a lymphoma misdiagnosis, we can demand full and proper compensation for your injuries. Call our office at (212) 986-7353 to discuss your case in a free consultation.

What Is Lymphoma and How Is It Tested?

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the body’s immune system, starting with cells called lymphocytes, which develop in the body’s lymph nodes. Our lymph nodes are located in the neck, under the armpits, groin, stomach, and between the lungs. Typically, swollen lymph nodes are one of the earliest signs of lymphoma, which is why doctors will check them first during a diagnosis.

Lymphoma typically develops in two forms: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is easier to diagnose because these cancer cells grow larger than non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and are easy to detect when inspecting the lymph nodes. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in contrast, is a cancer that grows in the body’s white blood cells and is better detected during a blood test. A doctor may also order a biopsy of your lymph nodes, a bone marrow test, or imaging scans to see if the cancer has spread to the rest of your body.

However, despite the variety of tests a doctor can employ to diagnose lymphoma, medical errors still occur. Cancer often requires aggressive and immediate treatment to slow the spread and give the patient a fighting chance of recovery, and lymphoma is no different. This cancer can spread all throughout your body and cause further complications if medical treatment is delayed due to a misdiagnosis.

How Do Misdiagnoses Occur?

Being misdiagnosed when you have cancer is a horrible situation to be in. Whenever we go to a hospital, we expect the staff to use all of their knowledge, skill, and experience to properly assess our conditions and provide thorough treatment. Unfortunately, misdiagnoses can occur. While lymphoma has many overlapping symptoms with other medical conditions, doctors should always run all necessary tests and consider every possibility as new symptoms develop.

Misdiagnoses are the result of medical errors committing by doctors, nurses, and administrators. Doctors may order the wrong tests or not test you at all, assuming your symptoms were caused by another injury or illness. Even when they do request the right tests, hospital staff may mix them up with another patient’s test results, perform the test incorrectly, or provide inaccurate results to the doctor.

In other cases, doctors may falsely assume you have lymphoma when you in fact have another condition altogether. There is a disease known as indolent T-cell lymphoproliferative disease that features many of the same symptoms as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If a doctor wrongfully diagnosed you with lymphoma and followed through on cancer treatment, he almost certainly put you through unnecessary harm, all the while failing to treat your actual, worsening condition.

There is no excuse for misdiagnosing cancer. Medical professionals should thoroughly check every medical possibility, review every test result, and perform every procedure with a clear and focused mind. If a medical professional’s negligence caused a lymphoma misdiagnosis or caused your treatment to be delayed, you may be able to pursue compensation in a medical malpractice claim.

What Are the Steps to a Medical Malpractice Claim?

In order to file a successful medical malpractice claim, you must prove that a medical professional failed to diagnose you with lymphoma in a reasonable and timely manner or incorrectly diagnosed you with lymphoma due to negligence. Medical negligence can take many forms, such as ordering the wrong tests or misreading test results, but it must involve some level of medical error. In addition to proving that negligence occurred, you must also show that the negligence led to an injury or damages.

For example, if a doctor missed a lymphoma diagnosis by a few days but quickly fixed the mistake and got you on the right treatment plan, you would not be able to pursue a claim if you were not injured. However, if the doctor started you on the wrong treatment plan because of a misdiagnosis and your lymphoma went untreated, you could suffer serious harm down the line. A cancer misdiagnosis is significantly more dangerous than failing to diagnose a patient with a cold. It can lead to months of agony and discomfort, costly medical bills, and even unnecessary treatments.

If you can prove that you suffered an injury or harm as a result of a doctor’s negligence, then you have the basis for a medical malpractice claim. Through a claim, you could recover several types of compensation, including:

Past and future medical bills
Lost wages from time off work
Permanent disabilities
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Loss of enjoyment

In addition, if you lost a family member due to a lymphoma misdiagnosis, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against the hospital. Compensation for family members is slightly different than it is for victims, but you can recover:

Medical bills related to your loved one’s treatment
Lost future wages if your loved one contributed to your household
Funeral and burial expenses
Loss of consortium, love, and emotional support
Loss of household contributions, such as taking care of children, chores, etc.
Pain and suffering for your loved one’s misdiagnosis

The New York City personal injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, are well-versed in filing successful and thorough medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. We’ll speak to you and your family in a free consultation to discuss the nature of your medical treatment and determine if negligence occurred. We are dedicated to helping mistreated patients and their families recover compensation when their doctors fail them.

Why You Should Contact WRSMH

With over 50 years of experience, the NYC medical malpractice attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, have represented numerous clients and their families in medical malpractice claims. We understand how to thoroughly investigate a negligent medical professional and determine how a patient was misdiagnosed and mistreated. We also have extensive experience working with knowledgeable medical professionals who can review your records and determine the best options for your case. If you or someone you love has suffered due to a lymphoma misdiagnosis, contact Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, at (212) 986-7353. We are prepared to fight for your right to compensation.