If you suffered preventable harm due to a late prostrate cancer diagnosis or because of a delayed prostrate cancer diagnosis, you need to call a knowledge Rochester medical malpractice lawyer who can help you determine whether malpractice occurred. We have held countless negligent doctors and hospitals accountable for medical malpractice when these parties have failed to screen and treat patients for cancer properly.
Prostrate Cancer
Prostrate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate – a small gland surrounding the neck of the bladder in men that makes the seminal fluid that transports the sperm. After skin cancer, prostrate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. It affects nearly 200,000 men every year across the country. For this reason, all men should be offered prostrate cancer screening by their primary care physicians and/or urologists starting at the age of 50. In cases where a patient is at an increased risk for prostrate cancer, either because of a family history of the disease or their ethnic background, prostrate screening should begin even earlier.
Liability in Prostrate Cancer Cases
Timely diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer is critical to improving chances of recovery. A doctor may miss a prostrate cancer diagnosis by failing to screen for prostrate cancer properly or failing to refer the patient to a urologist. This type of failure could lead to serious, even deadly harm. A successful prostrate malpractice case requires showing that the doctor deviated from the standard of care resulting in a serious change in the patient’s longterm outcome. The standard of care refers to the degree of care that a reasonably prudent doctor in the same specialty would have used in the same or similar circumstances. The key in medical malpractice cases is showing that the physician’s substandard conduct led to a changed result for the patient (i.e., the failure to diagnose prostrate cancer in a timely manner led to the disease worsening).
Certificate of Merit
In New York, the plaintiff’s attorney in a medical malpractice lawsuit is required to file a written certificate of merit along with the lawsuit (or within 90 days of filing the claim in certain situations). The certificate has to contain the following: i) that the attorney evaluated the specifics of the case and consulted with at least one licensed doctor and that the attorney has determined on the basis of the consultation that there is a reasonable basis for filing a medical malpractice claim, or ii) that the attorney is not able to fulfill with the consultation requirement despite making three separate “good faith” attempts at a consultation with three separate doctors.
Skilled Rochester Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney
Prostrate cancer is a devastating diagnosis for anyone but it can be even worse when the diagnosis is delayed, robbing the patient of the chance to begin treatment immediately. If you were the victim of a prostrate cancer misdiagnosis, we can help. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced Rochester urology malpractice attorneys understand how to navigate complex malpractice claims. With years of experience, we are committed to using our knowledge and experience to help you and your family obtain the compensation and justice you deserve. For more information, please call us today at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
More Blog Posts:
Postpartum Hemorrhage Malpractice in Rochester, New York, Rochester Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Blog, October 30, 2018
Cervical Cancer Misdiagnosis Malpractice in Rochester, New York, Rochester Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Blog, October 24, 2018
Gallbladder Surgery Malpractice in Rochester, New York, Rochester Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Blog, October 17, 2018