Misdiagnosed cancer claims

How do I make a claim

Bringing a medical negligence claim is complex and demanding and cancer claims are no exception. The first thing to do is to contact a law firm which specialises in these sort of cases.

At such a difficult time in your life, it is important to have experienced and expert professionals fighting your corner. Our medical negligence team has handled many cancer cases relating to the misdiagnosis, mistreatment or delayed cancer diagnosis, particularly breast cancer.

Our solicitors are among the most respected and experienced in the UK with good relationships with and access to leading medical experts, whose evidence will be absolutely crucial to the success of your claim. They will also be able to advise you about what help and support may be available.

National charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support can also help with information, grants and more practical assistance and a comprehensive list of support organisations for different types of cancer is given on the website of OSL, a manufacturer of radiology equipment used in the NHS.

The Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) website has a useful tool that will allow you to search for solicitors checked and accredited by this respected independent national charity.

How long will my claim take

These cases may be robustly defended and resolution will depend on how serious your injuries are and whether and how quickly the other party admits liability.

To prove your claim, we will  need to obtain evidence from independent medical experts to establish whether there were any negligent failures in the care you received, for example that there was a negligent delay in performing investigations and that if you had receive the appropriate care and treatment that the outcome would have been different. The time taken to obtain this evidence will depend on the complexity of your claim.

In cases of cancers such as mesothelioma contracted at work, fast track procedures are available since the life expectancy of victims of this disease is usually very short following a diagnosis and the commencement of legal action.

Sometimes the other side will dispute our evidence and our valuation so we need to enter into negotiations to reach a satisfactory settlement. These negotiations can take time. Shoosmiths will always aim to resolve your case without delay, but it will take time to ensure we achieve the best possible outcome for you.