Should My Cancer Have Been Diagnosed Sooner? Four Reasons You Should Get Answers Now.

You and your family may be questioning whether the doctors should have diagnosed your cancer sooner. If so, you are certainly not alone. This question is at the heart of many lawsuits, and for every lawsuit there are many people who continue to wonder whether an earlier diagnosis would have saved their lives or improved their prognosis.

There is no simple answer to the question – but there is an answer. Whether your illness could have and should have been diagnosed earlier and led to a better result is an extremely complex matter. This is not something you or your family and friends will be able to determine by yourselves.

In the end, the question may be answered by a judge and jury. However, in most cases, you can find answers without going that far. The one thing you need to do is to get the help of an attorney specializing in cancer cases.

You need to consult with an attorney highly experienced in medical-legal cases. These attorneys devote a large part of their careers to medical malpractice cases. But many people are very reluctant to consult with an attorney about their cancer diagnosis, for fear that it will cost money that they cannot afford and because they generally trust their doctors and do not want to cause problems. This is a mistake.

Four of the most important reasons to talk to an attorney about your medical situation:

1. Nobody else needs to know.

First of all, from the moment you contact the attorney, what you talk about is strictly confidential and private. This is known as the attorney-client privilege. The attorney’s office will not disclose your private matters to anyone else including any of your doctors unless you give specific permission in advance. You will have privacy and confidentiality.

2. You deserve expert analysis of your cancer situation to get answers to your questions.

Second, your attorney specializes in these cases. These attorneys work closely with independent cancer experts who are themselves highly trained and experienced doctors. You will have the advantage of the combined legal and medical expertise your attorney offers in looking into your situation. Normally if there is any question in the mind of the attorney, he or she will do the work necessary to get your medical records from your doctor or hospital – again, with your permission in advance. The attorney will work with medical experts to find out your exact cancer diagnosis, how it came about, whether it should have been diagnosed sooner and whether your outcome would have been better.

3. You will not have to pay for your consultation.

Attorneys who do this work should not charge a fee to you for your consultation. Some attorneys will also do the entire investigation including getting your medical records at absolutely no up front cost to you. Later if a lawsuit is filed, you should have a contingency fee agreement. This is the usual way these cases are handled.

A contingency fee means that you only pay a fee for the work or the costs of the work if the attorney gets money damages for you. At Berger & Lagnese, you never owe any fee or any other expenses or out-of-pocket costs unless and until the attorneys recover money for your case. Berger & Lagnese does not charge you for medical-legal consultations.

4. Waiting too long can defeat your case.

If a hospital or doctor made a mistake in your situation, you will not be able to do anything about it if you wait too long. There are strict time limits on all types of cases, including cancer cases. These time limits are laws enacted in each state including Pennsylvania, and are known as statutes of limitation. Because of the extremely complex analysis that is done by the attorney in a cancer case, you need to contact the attorney as soon as you have any question in your mind. This will mean there is enough time to do the work that is needed. The attorney will talk to you about the time limit that applies to your situation.

For more information, or to consult with an experienced attorney about your cancer situation, call Joshua L. Berger at Berger & Lagnese, P.C.
Telephone (412) 471-4300, or Toll-Free (800) 350-6161
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